Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise this issue in the context of Fermoy Community Hospital. While this facility is not in my own area of Cork North-Central, it does in fact accommodate some patients from that area for respite care. I understand that there are nine respite beds available in the hospital but that difficulties have arisen around GP cover there. I know that the hospital and the HSE have done everything possible to get new GPs on board, but what seems to have happened is that GPs who had been providing back-up support in the hospital have since retired.

The availability of respite care is extremely important both for elderly people and for families who are providing care at home and who need a break from this work that they are doing on a voluntary basis. I understand that a restriction was placed on the use of the facility and I would like to hear what efforts are being made to bring it back into full use and make the services there fully available to the people of Cork East and indeed of parts of Cork North-Central.