Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I thank her for taking time from her busy schedule to be here.I would like to discuss the Bóthar Oirialla group home in Carrickmacross. I hope that with the arrival of the Minister of State to the House, she will have some good news for us regarding the opening of the facility which will provide a home and cater for up to five people in the Carrickmacross area who have physical and sensory disabilities. The building has been lying idle for many years and families have been waiting for far too long for the facility to be opened.

I was delighted that with the change in Government some 18 months ago came a change in attitude and a sense of urgency that the project needed funding to get the facility open. I thank the Minister of State because I know she took her portfolio, grasped this issue by the scruff of the neck and secured funding. I am delighted things have moved on as far as they have. They would not have without the work of the Minister of State. It has been an issue for the people of Carrickmacross since the building was first initiated. Local councillor P.J. O'Hanlon has worked tirelessly to try to open the facility.

The last time the Minister of State and I spoke, we were given a projected date of the last quarter of 2021. She told me she had allocated some funding so that works could be done to the building. Due to the fact it had lain idle for so long, some small remedial works were required so that the building could be opened. I understand the works have been completed. Now all we await is the good news I hope the Minister of State will have for us. Families have been waiting a long time to get their local ones housed in the facility. I hope we will finally have an opening date.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to address this matter. He has long advocated for the opening of the group home in Carrickmacross, and I thank him for the raising this important matter again today.

As the Senator knows, there have been protracted negotiation between HSE community healthcare organisation, CHO, 1 disability services and the Respond housing agency regarding the lease agreement for the Bóthar Oirialla group home in Carrickmacross. I can inform the Senator that HSE estates confirmed it has received and has now forwarded the full suite of executed lease documentation to the HSE solicitors to support the final handover of the premises to HSE CHO 1 disability services. The HSE solicitors will forward these documents to Resilience, the contracted service provider, once documentation is fully reviewed.

HSE CHO 1 is awaiting contact from the approved housing body, Respond, to arrange handover of the premises and will then immediately complete the local licence arrangement with the service provider, Resilience. Resilience met all residents at meetings during quarter 4 of 2021. While the residential service is awaited, various supports and interventions are in place for residents, determined by the individuals’ needs. The HSE advises that the full staffing complement has been recruited by the care provider and a person in charge of the unit has been identified.

As the Senator will be aware, all designated centres for people with disabilities are required to register with the office of the chief inspector of HIQA. Once the HSE is in receipt of the keys to hand over the premises to the contracted service provider, Resilience can lodge its registration application to HIQA.

In some positive news for the Senator, the HSE has advised me today that the Carrickmacross group home should be open for residents to move in by the end of March. I know the Senator and others in the community have been waiting a long time for this home to become a reality. I am acutely aware there have been a number of delays over recent years, but I have kept a close eye on developments in Carrickmacross and it is welcome that we are now so close to this becoming a new home for five residents. I am sure this will be a huge relief and an exciting update for families who need reassurance the facility will be open and running.

My Department has provided the money and worked closely with the HSE to ensure that whatever obstacles were in the way since the matter was brought to my attention were addressed.This has been done in conjunction with the requirements to ensure the building will meet inspection once the handover is complete.

We are not talking about having more of a protracted process. This house is now available for residents to move into. It did not open at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021 because it was around Christmas and a period of transition. Some people did not want to make that full move; there was only one resident who was interested in the move at the time. We are now doing it at the end of the first quarter of 2022.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is certainly very welcome news. I have no doubt Senator Gallagher will have a positive response.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Absolutely. I thank the Minister of State most sincerely for giving us this excellent news. People have waited years to hear that sentence and I am delighted, as the Minister of State has mentioned, that the facility will open in March. On behalf of the community in Monaghan and particularly in Carrickmacross, I thank the Minister of State for her work and sense of urgency in securing the initial funding but also for driving this on so that today we have a date for the official opening, which is the end of March. I am delighted with that. It would give me great pleasure and it would only be right and fitting that someone who has done so much work in securing this facility would visit it and perhaps do an official opening, if that is in order. I would be grateful if the Minister would do that and I look forward to her response.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has the final word on it.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We are just between friends here and I do not mind sharing that in order for me to expedite this, I named the date I was coming to Carrickmacross, which was 28 March. There is a little bit of pressure on everybody, whether it is HIQA, the HSE or the Department, to ensure the building is opening and fully functioning for those five residents. I am coming that day to ensure it happens. It is money I wanted spent in 2021 but it dragged into 2022. I am nonetheless delighted the providers - the HSE and Resilience - have worked really hard for me to ensure we can have delivery. I look forward to coming down on 28 March to see our new facility opened.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State.