David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

21. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide a day care centre in Youghal in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27650/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The proposed Day Care Centre in Youghal, for which a site was allocated at Youghal Community Hospital, was included in the HSE's Capital Plan in 2008. However, as with many other projects, funds were not available to progress this project due to the reduced capital budget which followed the down turn in the economy.

Subsequent to the initiation of the Day Care Centre project, the inspection of residential services for older people by the Health Information and Quality Authority commenced. The renewal of the registration for Youghal Community Hospital comes up in 2015. It has been established that the hospital will require a significant extension to fully comply with HIQA's infrastructural standards. The HSE has undertaken a preliminary review of the existing community hospital and, given the topography of the hospital site, such an extension could well impact on the site set aside for the proposed Day Centre.

The HSE has appointed a Design Team to develop the plans to achieve full HIQA compliance for Youghal Community Hospital. One of the first tasks assigned to the design team is to advise on whether the significant extensions required to the hospital will impact on the site designated for the Day Care Centre. Naturally, the intention will be to avoid impact if reasonably possible. Once this step is completed, the HSE can make a final decision on the whether the Day Care Centre can go ahead on the site originally set aside. Capital funding will be required to progress the project at that stage and it will also have to be confirmed that the revenue funding needed to operate the centre once completed can be made available.