Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, who is in the Dáil taking parliamentary questions on health. The Minister thanks the Senator for raising this issue and providing the opportunity to update the House on the position relating to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Cashel.

In early 2016, a capital programme for older persons residential centres was developed in response to the introduction of HIQA’s national residential care standards for older people and the requirement that all facilities providing long-stay beds be registered by HIQA. This is a programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish care facilities, as appropriate, at 90 locations. The vast majority of projects are replacement capacity. The emergence of the Covid 19 pandemic in March 2020 interrupted work on St. Patrick's Hospital. As a response to Covid-19 risks, upgrade works were carried out to make facilities located on the campus of the nearby Our Lady’s Hospital, Cashel - now called the Cashel Residential Older Persons Services - suitable for long-stay residential use. Residents from St. Patrick’s Hospital were moved to this facility, which was registered under HIQA for three years from June 2020. The three-year registration is due for renewal and the HSE is engaged with HIQA regarding registration.

The Minister, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, the Department and the HSE are committed to the development of a new community nursing unit for older persons for Cashel. The HSE advises that the existing site is not suitable for the new 60-bed community nursing unit, CNU. The HSE also advises that the site is very limited in size. Challenges regarding the amount of parking space and access to the building have been identified. A site in Cashel town is currently being reviewed by HSE for suitability for a new CNU. In line with project guidelines and best practice, an options appraisal will be completed to review all options for delivering the required CNU accommodation. This review is expected to be completed in quarter 2 of 2023. An assessment and rehabilitation unit, and a day hospital for older persons services, continue to operate at St. Patrick’s Hospital.

Specialist renovation works have been carried out on some of the vacated space at St. Patrick’s Hospital for the development of new facilities for the children’s disability network team for Cashel, Tipperary and surrounding areas. This will also accommodate children’s disability services originally based at Our Lady’s Hospital. Other available space at St. Patrick’s Hospital is being considered for the development of facilities for the HSE’s roll out of the enhanced community care programme. In addition, the public private partnership build in Clonmel, with a completion date of quarter 4 of 2024, has started. This will provide a 50-bed CNU.

All capital development proposals must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the public spending code, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement before funding for each stage can be confirmed. The successful completion of the various approval stages will determine the timeline for delivery of this project. It is not possible to provide a timeline for construction or operation of the facility at this point.