Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to mention, in particular, that many of my party colleagues are very concerned about and have been in touch with me about this issue. Of course, Deputy Frank Feighan is the local Deputy. Others involved include councillors Maura Hopkins and Michael Creaton.On foot of that, I spoke to the national director of social care in the HSE, Mr. Pat Healy, in the past couple of days. He has informed me that remedial works worth €170,000 would not be sufficient to satisfy the HIQA requirements and that what is required is either a total replacement of the facility or major refurbishment. I cannot give any commitment at this stage on that, and I would not be honest if I did so. The simple reason for that is that I do not know what is available for health in the capital budget yet. That has not been signed off by the Government. It is intended that it will be signed off next week, at which stage I will know what capital is available for the health sector for the period between 2016 and 2021. I will have to sit down with Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, the HSE and everyone else to prioritise and decide what aspects might be addressed by direct Exchequer funding and what aspects could be addressed by public–private partnership. However, I am not willing to make a commitment I cannot stand over. I cannot make one at this stage.

Senator Kelly mentioned that there are people in four-bed rooms. He asked whether this is happening throughout the country. It is. There are two facilities in my constituency in a similar position. Neither has funding to be replaced at this stage. Therefore, it is an issue that applies across the country. It is deemed no longer appropriate to have people in long-term care in four, six or 12-bed wards. People may have their own opinions on that but the general view is that it may be acceptable for somebody in hospital for a week or two but not for an individual for whom hospital has become home. In the latter case, the view is that one should have a private en suiteroom or certainly a room with no more than two beds. That is the current standard. However, as Senators will appreciate, many of these facilities date back hundreds of years. People have been in four-bed and six-bed units for-----