John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House because I know she shares an interest in, a concern and a genuine regard for the issues we are discussing, namely, elderly care and the respect we must always show for our senior citizens.

Nothing defines us more as a society than how we care for young children and senior citizens in the autumn of their years. My colleague, Senator Cáit Keane, has raised this issue in respect of her area. We in County Laois have three community nursing homes, one in Shaen, Portlaoise, one in Abbeyleix, and St. Vincent's community nursing home in Mountmellick. I wish to address the situation in Mountmellick.

I had the opportunity and privilege of attending the annual general meeting of the friends and supporters of St. Vincent's community hospital. These are all decent local people who reflect the high standing and regard and respect in the community, not just in Mountmellick but in the greater Laois area, for St. Vincent's, Mountmellick. Its reputation goes before it as a hospital that provides genuine, tender loving care, regard and respect for senior citizens and a place where their families can rest assured they are being cared for properly and professionally. I accept there is constant pressure on resources and that the Minister of State is fighting her corner in this area. As has been indicated, the buildings in which our community nursing homes are located are very often historic and ageing buildings. That is no reason for failing to invest in them, uphold them and commit to them. We also have, as the Minister of State knows, an ageing demographic. While I clearly accept that the private nursing home sector has a role to play, it cannot do so without the State taking its responsibility by providing public community nursing home care for many of our senior citizens in the autumn of their years. There is concern that hospitals can come under pressure from these infamous HIQA standards. I am all for high and proper standards, but I am not always sure that the textbook and the theory matches the test of reality on the ground, such as the idea that every single person should be in a single room on his or her own. That is an Americanisation of elderly care, where everyone has his or her own television and a magazine. That is rather a lonely space to be. We have to work with different models of care, where people can socialise and fraternise with their companions, friends and visitors. I am not altogether sure that the HIQA standards are the bible we should adhere to at all times.

Will the Minister of State confirm to me that the HSE and the Department of Health are fully committed to the future of St. Vincent's Community Nursing Unit in Mountmellick in particular because I am told it requires in the region of €13 million in investment over a period of years? I accept it has to be done on a phased basis. It cannot all be done overnight but people will rest assured and be happy if they know that commitment exists and that it can be brought up over a period of years to match and meet any standard that is required.

It would be remiss of me, as we have discussed it many times, not to mention Shaen hospital in Portlaoise where there has been some movement this week in terms of a ward closure and redeployment of staff. A long-term answer is still eagerly awaited three years on by the people in Abbeyleix in respect of their community nursing home. My wish is that it would be possible for the Minister of State to give us clarity on that, too. I thank the Minister of State.