Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Senator rightly said, the project involves planning permission, for which an application is expected to be submitted very soon. In establishing the community nursing unit programme, the Government's intention is to secure the future of public provision of residential care through investment in up to 90 centres throughout the country.The overall development at St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy, will deliver 95 replacement community nursing unit beds with the accommodation in line with current standards.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the vulnerabilities of older people living in long-term residential care. It is critical that public investment in this infrastructure is maintained and that the appropriate standards are met for those who avail of this type of care. The ongoing successful implementation of the community nursing unit programme, including the ongoing development at St. Vincent's Hospital, will contribute to achieving this goal.

The project for a replacement of the 95-bed unit at St. Vincent's Hospital will be completed in two phases with a 50-bed unit to be delivered as part of the first construction phase. The development of this project has been included in the capital programme 2022. The good news, as the Senator will note, is that an application for planning permission is expected to be submitted in quarter 1 of this year.