David Norris (Independent)

I have been briefed on this issue by a constituent and I rely on the brief to establish the facts. It is about a residential facility in County Carlow, a part of Ireland known to the Minister of State and me. It is a 30-bed HSE residential care facility that looks after elderly people in the Carlow area, with ages ranging from 70 to 97. They are elderly people and, to a certain extent, they are vulnerable. The money for this facility was generated over many years by the subscriptions and donations of charitable persons and is an expression of the care that the community in the area provides for its elderly people.

On Friday, 12 December, a HSE official visited this facility and the residents understood her to indicate that it would be closed in the new year. I was not present so I cannot say absolutely that she said that. The residents certainly understood that she said it and they became greatly distressed. The grandson of one of those relatives contacted me about the matter. No clear explanation was given as to why this closure should take place. The residents were left distressed and unclear about their future residential care needs. The residents' carers and relatives were left dazed, picking up the pieces as a result of this.

A very confusing statement was issued by the HSE, which stated that it confirmed that from Monday, 15 December, its 12-bed rehabilitation ward in Sacred Heart Hospital in Carlow will reopen and will return to full operational status. It also stated that it was not holding a meeting that day "with regard to the future". That means "yes, it is not", which is very odd. The situation is very confusing and I hope the Minister of State can clarify the issue.

Apart from the distress and anxiety caused to the residents, a relocation of this kind has very serious psychological and other impacts on people. Moving house can be a very traumatic event for somebody who is well and it has been known to create fatalities in well balanced and apparently healthy people. Therefore, people in the 70 to 97 age bracket may also be confused about this because it is an appalling prospect for them. My constituent told me that he contacted HSE officials, who confirmed that it is under review. The area health manager denied that any such statement was made, but then admitted that she was not actually in the room. Therefore, she is not in a position to deny or confirm what was said. Neither am I, but the residents certainly had that impression.

I have a series of questions to ask and I understand that the Minister of State is addressing the issue in advance of these questions. Were 26 vulnerable elderly people told by a HSE official that their home would be closing in 2009, and, if so, why? We know that this type of facility is subject to a review. This may be prudent, and we all remember the Leas Cross case, where it was proper to inquire into the dangerous situation for the residents there. Are there real causes of concern here? What are they? Does this review exist already? When will it be published? Who carried it out? What are the implications for the residents? Will the HSE reassure all the elderly residents in the facility that their future residential health care needs are not in jeopardy?

I know the midlands and I know Carlow fairly well, and I rather like it. Rumours spread in a small community and there are rumours that the situation emerged not because of a deficiency in the home, but because there was the possibility of a sale of the land involved to a large retail outlet so that a car park could be created that would generate money for central funding. That would be scandalous if it was the truth.

Is the closure of the facility to be temporary or otherwise? What are the choices in front of the residents? Will the HSE put forward a plan to minimise the distress and disruption involved? Is this really about financial rationalisation? What provisions are being made to secure the jobs of the team of nurses who are there already and who have a familiarity and relationship with these elderly people? Very often, such relationships are necessary as they represent a lifeline for elderly people.

Many questions need to be asked about this. Elderly people were certainly put in a panic by the proposition that their residential accommodation may be removed. I would like to establish the facts and then see what can be done. How can these people and their carers be reassured?