Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Collins, is very welcome.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I, too, welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter.

It is always important in debates such as this to put on the record the very proud history of St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy. It can trace its history back to the opening of the Athy workhouse on 9 January 1844, an event that came just in time to relieve some of the harshest effects of the Famine in and around the area of south Kildare. The Sisters of Mercy arrived there as nursing sisters in 1873. In 1898, the building became a county home.

As I have stated previously, St. Vincent's Hospital has a proud history in the care of older persons that is unrivalled among hospitals. The 175 or so staff who work in the hospital have a reputation for care that goes above and beyond their call of duty and is the number one reason there is always a waiting list of families hoping to obtain beds for their loved ones. Not a week passes when I do not get a call from someone or meet a family or individual who tells me of the extraordinary care a loved one is receiving or has received in the past in St. Vincent's. The hospital attracts patients from all over Kildare and neighbouring counties. It is a source of great pride for the people of Athy that the hospital is located in the town. That is why the people of Athy and the staff of the hospital are anxious as to the future of this great hospital, which has stood on the site for some 180 years. On the timeline for the new hospital, it was in 2019 that I received confirmation that the HSE had appointed a design team. We were told that the new hospital would mark the arrival of a 21st century healthcare system. Despite continuous representations, it was not until early 2022 that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, informed me that the project, a 92-bed community nursing unit on the grounds of St. Vincent's, would go to planning in quarter 3 of 2022. It was in September 2023 that planning permission for this new 92-bed unit was eventually granted. During a debate in this House in October of last year, I was informed that a design team had been approved to progress the 7,000 sq. m project and that it would be responsible for bringing the project through the detailed design and tender phases following the grant of permission.

As I have said, St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy has stood on the site since 1844. Today, it is a model of care with the best staff and management families could hope to have to look after their loved ones. I hope the Minister of State will give us some positive updates as to when construction will begin on the hospital and when it will open. Given the urgent need for older persons care, a new hospital in Athy is long overdue. This hospital's reputation spreads far and wide. I hope that, in the Minister of State's reply, the people of Athy and south Kildare will get the good news that construction will commence as quickly as possible on the hospital they have waited so long for.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for giving us the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the replacement 92-bed community nursing unit at St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy, County Kildare. As the Senator has quite rightly said, the hospital was first built in 1844. It provides rehabilitation, respite and extended care to male and female residents, the majority of whom are over 65 years of age.

The standard of care delivered to residents in public units is generally very high. We recognise that many of our community hospitals are housed in buildings that are less than ideal in a modern context. However, without them, many older people would not have access to the care they need. It is therefore important that we upgrade our public bed stock. The purpose of the HIQA compliance community nursing unit replacement programme is to replace, upgrade and refurbish, as appropriate, these care facilities across the country.

The community nursing unit in St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy is part of this programme. A design team has been appointed to progress St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy. The proposed new facility will provide a total of over 7,000 sq. m of floor area. It will include single-storey dementia wards over a phased build and will see the demolition of the five single-storey prefab wings that are attached to the existing protected structure. This project will be completed in two phases with the 48-bed unit to the rear of the site to be delivered as part of the first construction phase. Phase 2 will entail 44 beds including two ten-bed dementia units and three associated courtyards over one and two storeys. The scope of this project will enable HSE older persons services to decant and vacate the protected structure.

Planning permission was granted for the phased construction of the 92-bed CNU in August 2023. The project is being progressed under the capital programme for 2024. The proposed new 92-bed CNU is now at stage 2C, detailed design and tender, in line with the HSE's capital projects manual and approval protocol. The approved capital budget for phase 1 of this project, the 48-bed unit, will be confirmed upon the completion of stage 2C, detailed design and tender. It is anticipated that the project could commence on site in quarter 1 of 2025, subject to the relevant approvals. 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 a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established. The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process that is subject to the successful completion of the various approval stages. The final decision to proceed with construction cannot be made until the tender process has been completed and the costings reviewed to ensure that the proposal delivers value for money and remains affordable and that sufficient funding is available to fund the project to completion. This includes equipping and commissioning costs.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. The middle of the reply tells us that it is anticipated that the project could commence on site in quarter one of 2025, which is the news that the people of south Kildare really wanted to hear. I note that this is dependent on the final decision and the review of the tender process, which is standard enough practice for all major construction projects that the Government may look at. The Minister of State might confirm that in his reply.

I stress the urgent need for this. As the Minister of State said in his reply, the hospital was built in 1844. Not alone does it provide the care that he outlined, it also has a day care centre that is very important to the people of south Kildare and it also provides a meals-on-wheels service that is also very important to the people of south Kildare. This project is so badly needed for the excellent staff and management. Planning permission has been received. We hear from the Minister of State's reply that it is anticipated that it will commence in quarter one of 2025 subject to tender but I stress to him and the Government that this project will benefit not just the people of Athy but the people of south Kildare and the surrounding districts.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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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.