Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Leader to request that the Minister of State with responsibility for the elderly, Deputy Jim Daly, appear before the Seanad as soon as possible and that he overrule a decision taken by the Health Service Executive. Before Senator Feighan leaves, I should say that this is another blow to Roscommon, even if he campaigned for it. It seems that under the watch of his party's Government, community healthcare west has decided to evict ten male and two elderly patients from the Rosalie community psychiatric unit in Castlerea, County Roscommon. The decision was announced yesterday, 11 April, at a letter read at 8 a.m. to staff by Mr. Tony Canavan, HSE chief for the west. The families of the 12 patients were informed by letter yesterday. The campaign to overturn the HSE's decision and retain the Rosalie unit, which is led by Mr. Liam Walsh, a son of one of its residents, Breda, will continue.

Commitments were given by the former Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch, that the Rosalie unit would be retained. The facility was established when the former Don Arms Hotel was converted to a long-stay psychiatric unit following the closure of St. Patrick's psychiatric hospital in Castlerea, now Castlerea Prison. With accommodation for 32 patients, it is ideal for a nursing home for patients with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. It has trained and qualified professional staff and first-class facilities.I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, the Minister, the Fine Gael general election candidates, Senators Hopkins and Feighan, and Fine Gael council candidates to retain the Rosalie Unit. It is disgraceful that a Department and Minister would evict vulnerable elderly people. Michael Davitt would turn in his grave to think that an Irish Government would inflict this hardship on patients who need their home. They live there. It is their home. If they leave, it will kill them quickly. That is what it is all about.