Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue about an update for the plans for a midlands hospice. I thank her for the compassionate way in which she has dealt with it. Her statement at the start, "You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life.", reflects exactly what a hospice does. The Government is strongly committed to the development of end-of-life services, which ensure the care and dignity of the dying person and the family are the focus. The Government is working to guarantee equitable access to specialist palliative care services in every region of the country and to ensure that we meet the palliative care needs of all who require it, as our population grows and ages.

In recent years there has been a significant increase in investment in palliative care services, with recent openings of new hospices in Mayo, Waterford and Wicklow. Along with the extension of St. Brigid's Hospice in the Curragh, there will soon be 276 specialist inpatient palliative care beds available for those who need them. Budget 2022 will provide for increased investment in palliative care services. An additional €2.4 million will be allocated for new service developments and €10 million has been allocated as once-off funding for palliative and end-of-life services to progress national priorities. As the Senator knows, there was another €10 million at the end of last year to support hospices and palliative care.The Department is also updating the palliative care strategy from 2001. The update will reflect the changes in end-of-life care and best practice over the last 20 years. The updated policy will aim to ensure the provision of high-quality, integrated and accessible palliative care services for all patients. It will also reflect increased demand for adult palliative care, the shift towards care in the community, the emphasis in Sláintecare on addressing geographic variations in the provision of both community and hospital palliative care services and developments in international best practice. It is expected to have the policy update published in 2022.

It is a commitment in the programme for Government to increase the number of specialist palliative care beds countrywide to ensure a hospice is serving every region of the country. That was the Senator's exact point. The Department of Health is actively engaging with the HSE to progress plans for the development of hospices planned for Drogheda, Cavan and the midlands. The development of these three units will mean specialist palliative care services will be available in every region of the country. It is recognised that the midlands is one of the three remaining regions without this specialist palliative care inpatient service in place. However, there is continuing progress to develop a new specialist palliative care facility, co-located to the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore. I noted the Senator said she met the Minister earlier in the year.

The HSE's palliative care services three-year development framework includes the development of a 15-bed specialist palliative care inpatient unit, or hospice, which will provide support to patients from across the four counties in the midlands. Fundraising from Offaly Hospice Group has recently allowed for architects to carry out initial plans and a feasibility study at the co-located site. The HSE has recently engaged with five hospice groups in the area, the Irish Hospice Foundation and Hooves 4 Hospice, to provide an update on progress regarding the midlands inpatient unit. The development will require collective working towards a specialist inpatient palliative care service in the midlands. HSE estates is developing a costed, timelined plan for the development to be ready by end of 2021, which is very short. In line with the vision of palliative care in the programme for Government, Sláintecare and HSE development framework for palliative care, this development aims to prioritise and protect the most vulnerable.