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

I thank the Senator for his welcome and comments about my trip to Belmullet. It is always nice to see a familiar and friendly face when one goes on such a trip and to meet a medical officer with whom I am familiar. I thank the Senator for the courtesy he showed me during my visit.

Residential care is provided through a mix of public. voluntary and private provision. It is worth highlighting that the net budget for long-term residential care in 2019 is €985 million and that over 23,000 clients, on average, at any one time will be in receipt of financial support. Public residential care units such as New Houghton Hlospital in New Ross, County Wexford are an essential part of the healthcare infrastructure. In total, they provide about 5,000 long-stay beds, amounting to approximately 20% of the total stock of nursing home beds nationally. There are also about 2,000 short-stay community public beds. The standard of care delivered to residents in these units is generally very high, but we recognise that many public units are housed in buildings that are less than ideal in the modem context. Without them, however, many older people would not have access to the care they need. It is important, therefore, that we upgrade the public bed stock. That is the aim of the five-year capital investment programme for community nursing units which was announced in 2016. It provides the framework to allow for an enhanced programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish these care facilities, as appropriate.

The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including the facility at New Houghton Hospital. HSE Community Health Organisation 5 which includes County Wcx lord is committed to delivering services for older persons through a community-based approach that supports older people to live in their own homes and communities and, when needed, residential care centres such as New Houghton Hospital. The hospital which dates from the 1970s is registered with HIQA as a residential long-stay unit, with a maximum of 42 beds. Services provided include long-term care, dementia care, rehabilitation, convalescence and respite, palliative and end-of-life care services. The HSE has informed the Department that the hospital has an excellent reputation locally as a care facility, that the welfare of residents is a priority for staff and management and that they are deeply appreciative of the support the hospital receives from families and the wider community. However, the HSE has also informed my Department that demand for beds at the hospital has decreased, in part because of the availability of residential beds in new facilities in the New Ross area. I have requested more detailed information from the HSE in that regard in order that my officials can properly evaluate the situation. I will be happy to update the House again in due course.

In addition, the HSE has experienced challenges in recruiting and retaining required staffing. As a result and to continue to provide quality care, while at the same time providing additional personal and communal space for residents in line with regulatory requirements, in recent months the number of operational beds in the hospital has decreased to 31. In line with usual processes, the HSE will continue to review all of its services to ensure the continued provision of high quality, value for money residential care, with the older person at the centre of all decisions made.