David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have raised this issue three times on the Adjournment, including with the Minister of State as far back as 2011. We have, therefore, discussed the issue many times and the Minister of State will be aware of the background. Commitments were given by the previous Government in 2011 not only to build a palliative care unit but also a full oncology unit on the grounds of Waterford Regional Hospital, which would have provide a multidisciplinary unit covering all modalities of cancer care under one roof. It was estimated at the time that it would cost approximately €70 million. Capital funding was not available but the Government gave a commitment to at least proceed with the palliative care unit through matching funding from the local hospice and the local community.

I am seeking an update about the project. I accept that members of all parties and none would like this project to be built as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the south east is one of the few areas that does not have a dedicated specialist palliative care unit. There are four community home care specialist palliative care teams with consultant leads but while the teams do fantastic work, they need in-house facilities for those who cannot be cared for at home. The population of counties Cork and Kerry is 510,000 but the area has 24 specialist palliative care beds while the south east with a population of 463,000 has access to two inpatient beds. Some 1,300 patients in the area are seen by the specialist community teams with 850 patients seen in acute hospitals. I am sure they receive fantastic care and treatment.

We need this palliative care unit. Advances were made and there seemed to be progress on the previous occasion I raised the issue but the project has still not been finalised. Will the Minister of State update the House on the current position and how quickly this will be delivered?

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue. He is correct that palliative care is an issue on which there is no disagreement among individual public representatives or political parties. Cork has always been well served by both the hospice movement and palliative care teams and we consider ourselves fortunate in this regard.

However, the financial constraints, which have unavoidably applied to all sectors of government, including the health sector, over the last five years have meant that the development of palliative care has advanced at a slower pace than we wished. Notwithstanding current budgetary difficulties, a great deal of good work has been done over the past number of years to improve what we can provide and this will continue. There is good co-operation and engagement between the HSE and voluntary organisations and there is ongoing engagement with voluntary hospice organisations in counties Waterford, Kerry, Wicklow, Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, the midlands and Blanchardstown to address gaps in service provision.

The HSE's clinical care programme for palliative care is working with acute services, services for older people, mental health services, community services and paediatric services on a range of initiatives to give patients access to palliative care no matter what part of the health services they engage with. The HSE performance report for 2013 indicates that up to June 2013, 94% of those seeking specialist palliative inpatient beds received this service within seven days and 99% received the service within one month. In 2010, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Ireland as having the fourth best developed palliative care service out of the 40 countries surveyed. The objective always is to respond to the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients and to achieve the best quality of life for the patient and family. The ultimate aim is to make sure that patients get the right care, at the right time, by the right team, regardless of where they are being cared for. It is my objective that this philosophy will be applied across all care settings in order that all people will get the palliative care that they need regardless of their age and of whether they die in a hospice, an acute hospital or at home.

The HSE is progressing the development of the specialist palliative care inpatient unit on the grounds of Waterford Regional Hospital in partnership with Waterford Hospice Movement. The unit is one element of the overall capital project for the site which will comprise 20 specialist palliative care inpatient beds, palliative day care, therapy and associated accommodation. There will be three wards of 24 single rooms. Arrangements are being put in place to fund this project in order that all capital costs are covered, including construction cost, design fees, equipping, etc. The Waterford Hospice Movement is also endeavouring to make a significant contribution towards the palliative care element of this project. At this stage, it would not be appropriate to release specific figures as contracts are not yet signed and this is, therefore, commercially sensitive. The enabling works for this development are being progressed. It is expected that the design team will be appointed in early 2014 and it is anticipated that construction will commence in early 2015. It is hoped that the new Waterford hospice will be operational by 2018. This is good news but we need to keep an eye on progress to make sure the project remains on track.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State said the design team will be appointed next year, construction will begin in 2015 and the unit will be fully operational by 2018. We would all like that to happen more quickly but if that is the timeframe, it is at least something to work with. I welcome this good news. We need to make sure funding is made available and this unit is up and running for those who need it as quickly as possible. I thank the Minister of State for providing the timeframe, which will be welcomed by the people of Waterford.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I recently had a meeting with Minister Poots from Northern Ireland in respect of this issue. The palliative care hospice movement is probably the only health organisation that operates on an all-Ireland basis and it does an incredible job. The new thinking relating to palliative, hospice and respite care is inspiring. One would imagine that given the population of the Waterford area, 24 beds would be insufficient whereas by the time the community-based teams and home-based treatments are rolled out, it will be probably be too many. In the meantime, we need to ensure the project is implemented.