Seanad debates

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Adjournment Matters

Health Services

7:10 pm

Photo of John WhelanJohn Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have long been of the view that how we treat our senior citizens in the autumn of their years will be one of the crucial yardsticks by which we will be judged not only as a Government but as a society.

Every since I was fortunate to be elected to the Seanad, almost four years ago, I have always tried to address issues by looking at the bigger picture and at policies in a constructive fashion rather than going down the road of personal interests or what people might refer to as parochial issues. However, I must declare an personal interest in the issue I am raising but, nonetheless, it pertains to policy.

I grew up in the town of Monasterevin, went to school there and have many family and friends still living there. It is a town that is noted and renowned for its community spirit, for the manner in which it rallies around families and has great credentials in terms of volunteerism and being a community that puts it best foot forward at all times.

A great reflection of that is that as far back as 1996 the Friends of the Elderly in the town pooled their resources in terms of materials, energy, efforts, skills and finances and established a day-care centre for the elderly in the town in the house of the former general practitioner on Drogheda Street. It was an appropriate setting. I knew the GP at that time, Dr. Kirby. He was a well regarded and respected man. As a young boy I had a newspaper round in the town and I delivered the newspaper to his house on Drogheda Street. The House was put to very good use. It was renovated, upgraded and has been used since 1996 as a very significant day-care centre for the elderly who go there on a daily basis to socialise, learn new skills and to congregate with people of their own age group.

However, I am disappointed and dismayed about what has happened. The HSE indicated some months ago that the property had fallen into some disrepair and that there were issues regarding the wiring and electrical works which had to be repaired. That work was under way and being conducted by the local committee when the HSE intervened and said that it would take over the works and that the day care centre would have to be transferred temporarily. Through the good co-operation of the local GAA club, Monasterevin GAA, they agreed to that and relocated the day-care centre activities to the GAA centre on a temporary basis. However, to our horror and disappointment, in recent weeks the HSE put a stop to the works, turned a key in the door and last week it had the electricity disconnected to the original property. I am alarmed by this. What has happened is sharp practice. It was an underhand way of doing business. It certainly was not up-front.

I am trying to be constructive, and I sincerely hope the Health Service Executive is not trying to balance its year-end books on the backs of the elderly people of this parish.

I am told it has informed the local committee that the cost of the works required now are of the magnitude of €100,000. If that is the case, that money must be found because the day care centre cannot operate on a long-term basis in the Monasterevin GAA club. That would not be appropriate for anyone. I implore the Minister of State to intervene, bring some clarity to the situation and help provide the necessary funding because it is unconscionable that the town that had a day care centre for this length of time would lose a service which is so important to the community.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.