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

I thank Senator Mooney for reporting this important issue. I am taking the debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who is at another event. The Government's policy is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. If it becomes necessary for an older person to move to a nursing home, appropriate accommodation must be available that meets his or her care needs and matches his or her wishes. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those at St. Patrick's Community Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. The hospital was built in 1841 and has been used as a care facility since 1928. The centre has an occupancy of 85 beds, comprising 63 continuing care beds and 22 short-term care beds used for rehabilitation, convalescence, respite or palliative care.

Since 2009, all nursing homes - public, private and voluntary - have been registered and inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. The most recent HIQA report on the hospital was published last July. Although the report acknowledged that progress had been made and improvements were evident since previous inspections, some concerns were reported, including the physical infrastructure of the facility. I have been informed by the HSE that a substantial action plan has been submitted to HIQA. This sets out what has already been achieved since the inspection and provides identified dates for the actions required by HIQA to be completed. Part of the HSE longer-term plan for County Leitrim includes the opening of a newly-built, 20-bed community nursing unit in Ballinamore. The HSE has applied to HIQA to register this facility and is in the process of recruiting staff. It is expected that the unit will open before the end of this year. This will allow patients from the area who are currently resident in St. Patrick's to transfer to Ballinamore. As a result, there will be some reduction in bed numbers at St. Patrick's, allowing more space, privacy and dignity for the remaining residents, so addressing HIQA's concerns about lack of privacy for some residents in St. Patrick's. The opening of Ballinamore will ensure overall bed numbers are maintained in the south Leitrim area. The new unit will be operated and run by the HSE.

A number of community nursing units, CNUs, similar to St. Patrick's hospital are very old and it can be very difficult or costly to adapt them to modern standards. Discussions are ongoing between HIQA and the HSE about the conditions that will apply to public facilities across the country. Later today, I will announce the total funding that will be available for capital investments in the health sector over the coming years. This will allow the HSE to frame a capital plan that balances priorities across the health service with the available funding. The overriding objective will be to ensure, in so far as possible, that when older people need care in public and residential facilities, it is available for them. Although many public facilities are not in line with how modern residential units are designed and configured, the standard of care provided to residents is generally of a very high standard. Residents and their families frequently express their appreciation of the care they receive and continue to choose such facilities even when alternatives are available. My Department will work with the HSE to allocate whatever funds are available in the most effective way possible, with the safety and welfare of residents being our top priority.

The Senator is probably aware that the capital plan for 2016 to 2021 was published in the last hour or so. It allocated an additional €300 million to the Department of Health for community nursing units and disability facilities over the next six years, and this is in addition to what was already in the budget. Although I cannot say at this stage how it will break down and which projects will be funded when, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, is working with the HSE on it with a view to making an announcement on a national basis during the next couple of weeks.