Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Wall for raising this issue. The Government has delivered unprecedented levels of investment in our health services in recent years. There should be no doubt that the investment in health infrastructure is a substantial priority for Government. Work is progressing across the country under the HIQA compliance programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish our current stock of community nursing units in response to the introduction of HIQA's national residential care standards for older people.

The capital development at St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy will lead to the construction of 92 replacement community nursing unit beds with accommodation in line with the current HIQA standards. Strategic reform in the model of delivery of care for older people is underway in pursuit of the goal of supporting older people to remain living independently in their own homes and communities for longer. This will involve a shift in the provision of health and social care services from hospital to community settings in line with the Sláintecare goal of receiving the right care in the right place at the right time. However, for those who avail of long-term residential care, it is critical that public investment in this infrastructure is maintained at a level that enables the appropriate standards to be met and the public residential care capacity is increased in the coming years. The ongoing successful implementation of the HIQA community nursing unit programme, including the development at St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy will contribute to achieving that goal.