Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this issue which has taken up more of my time since I was elected to the Seanad than any other. I looked at the file again today. I wrote to the Taoiseach. I am sure the Minister of State has a copy of the correspondence because I understand the Taoiseach sent it to him. He certainly sent it to the Department of Health. I have taken up the matter with the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, and discussed it with the Minister of State and his officials.

I went on site at the opening of the extension and it is all good news. Let us cut the issue down to what it is. I know a substantial number of the staff at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I lived next door to it for 20 years and know what is going on on a daily basis, despite what the Minister of State might hear or what his officials might tell him. I have spoken to the staff. Let us deal with some facts.

I am extremely disappointed with the response which is not necessarily from the Minister of State, but he is the person who communicated it. I will tell him why. In January 2017 the National Rehabilitation Hospital closed 12 beds. There is a substantial waiting list of inpatients and outpatients who wish to use the service. There are excellent services, wonderful clinicians and staff and a great board, with none of which I have a problem. After many promises, speeches, letters and telephone calls, six beds were eventually reopened. The most recent response I have received from the Department is dated 10 May and reads:

Morning Senator,

Minister McGrath sought an urgent update from the HSE on this matter as you requested. It appears there are no immediate plans to reopen the six beds in question due to staffing and resources constraints at the NRH. However, the NRH is actively seeking to have the beds reopened and has made a submission to the HSE in this regard. There may be scope for reopening beds through the winter planning programme of 2018-2019.

Frankly, that is not good enough. The Minister of State has special responsibility for people with disabilities. We know that a substantial number of people are trying to get into the hospital. Many are trying to leave it, but because appropriate transitional services are not available in the community, they cannot do so. I have some documentation from Senator John Dolan about one case which was highlighted in the media. I was in the hospital twice last week and patients were waiting for exit plans for rehabilitation services. There is a crisis. It is simply not good enough for a Minister of State to come to the House to say there may be six beds in 2018 or 2019.

I intend to raise the issue again next Tuesday and write to the Taoiseach today to say it is not good enough. If it means me running this as a major political issue to be discussed at public meetings in Dún Laoghaire, I intend to do so. I cannot understand why the six beds cannot be reopened. I am hearing different stories and ask the House to bear with me. It has been said there is a case to be made for looking at the issue and one will have to be made. The National Rehabilitation Hospital has confirmed to me that it has made a case to the HSE. What is the HSE doing about it? There can be nothing less than six beds reopened.

The Government will, as I have said since I entered the House, be judged on two things - health and housing. It is a poor show if we and the Minister of State cannot do everything in our power to have the beds reopened within one month. I am pleading with the Minister of State to make a very strong case to the Government. He is a key sustainer of it and has enormous power and influence. I ask him to use them to have the six beds reopened.