Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is lovely to be greeted by the Acting Chairperson's smile when we stand up to speak. I welcome the Minister of State. I know how passionate and compassionate she is regarding services for older people. In this instance, we are talking about a specific service that is sad but needed. Dame Cicely Saunders, who founded the hospice movement, said, "You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life." Those words are important. The hospice movement has given great dignity, respect and comfort to many at the ends of their lives, as well as to family members around them.

In 2001, the national advisory committee on palliative care stressed the importance of every region having a hospice. Sadly, there is one region that still does not have a hospice, namely, the midlands region of Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath. It has been described as a black spot. In 2013, a joint study recommended that the hospice be on the campus of the hospital in Tullamore.

There has been some movement. Professor Humphrey O'Connor is the chair of the committee. I have had a number of meetings with him and facilitated a meeting with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, last April. Since then, plans have been drawn up and a feasibility study was formally assessed. These all agreed that Tullamore is the correct place for a hospice. Planning, funding and so on need to be put in place.

I referred to the Minister of State's passion and compassion at the start. We need urgent action and intervention. It is not acceptable to have a black spot for end-of-life and palliative care anywhere in our country. While the region is fortunate to have a well-developed palliative care service in the community, with an aim to care appropriately for people at home for as long as possible, the provision of specialist palliative care and patient beds will facilitate hospital avoidance and support families in end-of-life care for their loved ones. I know the tremendous service that St. Brigid's Hospice in the Curragh gives. A friend and neighbour of mine, Paddy Curran, passed away a month ago. I know the solace and support that the hospice gave to his wife and to all of his extended family and friends.

Hospices are places that any of us ever wants to be in or see our loved ones in, but they are vital. When the time comes and families in the midlands need to rely on these services in order to ensure that their loved ones are cared for with grace and dignity in the final period of their lives, this service is simply not there. We need to ensure that we are providing patients and their loved ones with adequately funded and resourced end-of-life and palliative services. These are already incredibly difficult and traumatic times for people. It is not acceptable that we add to that suffering by not providing hospice care in the midlands.

I hope that the update that the Minister of State is bringing us today will be a positive one from the Department and its officials. I hope that we will be able to provide some certainty to those in the midland counties I mentioned.