Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Dean Maxwell home in Roscrea is a residence for long-term residents. There is real concern within the community and the area about a deadline for long-term residents of 1 January 2022. There has been much confusion and many promises made. There is real concern within the Roscrea Community Development Council.In fairness, Mr. Steve Crofton sent a letter to Deputies outlining the concerns of the council about the matter with a request that the deadline of 1 January 2022 be extended. Promises were made in Tipperary that the national development plan review would have a statement in it about the funding of the Dean Maxwell facility. There was no such statement in the national development plan review, which means there is no funding there at the moment to keep the facility going.

The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in fairness, has visited the facility but we are now in a situation where the senior Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, needs to give clarity to people in the Roscrea community. It is not right or proper that they are being led down different paths by what is being said to them with no clear indication from the Department of Health or the Minister, in particular. A letter was sent a couple of months ago to the effect that the facility was going to close on 1 January 2020. That caused absolute outrage at the time. There is still no clarity on the matter and we are only three weeks away from 1 January.

Staff at the Dean Maxwell facility are wonderful people who give a fantastic service for the community of Roscrea and the surrounding areas. It would be helpful if the Minister gave some clarity and made a statement to reassure the community and the Roscrea community development council before the Christmas period.