Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to update the House on the provision of community nursing units at St. Patrick's Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon and the Sacred Heart Hospital in Roscommon. The Government's overarching policy is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. While the standard of care delivered to residents in public units is generally very high, we recognise that many community hospitals are housed in buildings that are less than ideal in the modern context. Without those buildings, however, many older people would not have access to the care they need. It is important for us to upgrade our public bed stock. This is the aim of the five-year capital investment programme for community nursing units which was announced in 2016. The programme provides the framework for an enhanced programme of replacing, upgrading and refurbishing these care facilities, as appropriate. Significant work has been undertaken to determine the optimum scheduling of projects within the phased provision of funding to achieve compliance and registration with HIQA.

The Sacred Heart Hospital and care home in Roscommon has 95 beds. It is registered with HIQA and has an excellent reputation as a care facility. It provides 80 long-term care beds for older people and 15 short-term palliative, rehabilitation and respite care beds. It is intended to provide a replacement 50-bed unit at the hospital and to refurbish or upgrade some of the existing complex to meet the required standards. Preparatory work on the project brief, site selection, option appraisal and cost estimates has been completed. The project has been approved by the HSE's national property steering group, subject to funding. It is hoped to commence the design process in 2019.

St. Patrick's Hospital in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, is registered with HIQA and can accommodate a maximum of 46 people. It comprises long-term beds, a specialist dementia unit and short-term palliative and respite care beds. The preferred site for the proposed new build at St. Patrick's Hospital has been approved for purchase, subject to planning, by the HSE national property steering group. The legal agreement is being finalised. The design team has been instructed to commence the design process. The capital plan provides for funding to commence design following the purchase of the site.

All stages of capital projects, including the design and tendering processes, are subject to review to ensure they deliver value for money. Where possible, this includes future proofing to ensure capital developments meet current standards, as well as provision for additional capacity, improved equipping, or both. All of these factors need to be addressed appropriately. The health capital allocation in 2019 is €567 million for the construction and equipping of health facilities. Following the publication of the HSE national service plan for 2019, the HSE is developing its capital plan for 2019. Health capital projects, including community nursing unit developments in Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon, will be considered in this context.