Garret Kelleher (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response and acknowledge the behind-the-scenes work going on between the HSE management in the south-west region and the management team at Westgate, which is crucial.

I neglected to mention one thing in my initial contribution, of which the Minister of State will be well aware. It was opportune he came down and visited, given he is also a Minister of State in the Department of housing. It is the fact that Westgate provides housing and sheltered housing. I mentioned in my opening remarks that there is a strong voluntary and community spirit. One service user and resident in Westgate is in her 90s and is an active member of Ballincollig Tidy Towns. She is somebody of whom we as a community are very proud. The fact she is in Westgate and able to participate and volunteer at local level speaks volumes about the independence it affords to people.

There is an ongoing conversation in Cork on the development of light rail, the Luas line, with Ballincollig being on the western side of that. A lot of people contacting me locally were lobbying for the extension of the Luas line further west and one of the key reasons was to include Westgate. It is recognised Westgate is at the heart of the community.

I emphasise again the urgency with which this must be dealt with. It is a matter of immediate concern to the management team in Westgate and it is causing stress. We need to deliver certainty and predictability so the future of the organisation can be guaranteed.