Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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507. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a copy of a report (details supplied) into the future and long-term sustainability of three community hospitals in County Donegal; if he will provide a copy of other relevant documents relating to the decision to maintain the long-stay accommodation units in all three community hospitals and recent reports into the future of the long-term accommodation units and capacity at these three hospitals that were conducted internally in the HSE or his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7099/19]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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As outlined on 7 November 2018 at a meeting with public representatives and local delegations the policy position adopted in 2015 to replace St Joseph’s, Stranorlar and Ramelton Community Nursing Unit has now been officially revised. The HSE's Social Care Directorate and its National Capital and Property Steering Group have accepted recommendations from HSE CHO 1 to retain and upgrade both facilities, in the context of future capacity requirements for these areas. This revises the original decision to replace the existing long stay residential beds on both sites as part of the Capital Investment Programme for Public Residential Care Centres for Older People 2016. It further revises the scale of the proposed new unit at Letterkenny from the original 130 beds to 110 beds. Importantly, the decision to revise the proposals was informed not just by the technical and feasibility studies in relation to the physical infrastructure in these two sites but also on the basis of a broader analysis of population projections and National Planning norms carried out by the HSE.

The need for additional beds and the potential to develop a replacement facility to the existing community nursing unit in Lifford will be reviewed further post 2021, when new Census data is available and the Health Service Capacity Review and the National Development Plan have been advanced. The existing unit at Lifford will continue to operate in the intervening period. As I advised at the November meeting, I welcome the community continuing to engage with the HSE at local level, in the first instance, as appropriate, regarding further ideas and proposals for community based options that may be considered.

As the reports referred to by the Deputy were commissioned by the HSE I have forwarded this aspect of his request to the Executive for direct reply.