Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1682. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on a day care facility in Cork city to cater for homeless people who exit night-time accommodation and have nowhere to access support or day-time safe areas. [2015/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I convened a meeting between officials from the Dept of Health and Dept of Housing and the promoters of the Cork Integrated Inclusion Health Hub (IIHH) in October 2024. I welcomed the excellent collaboration between the Cork City Council and the HSE to develop this comprehensive proposal to address the health and social needs of people who are homeless in Cork city.

The IIHH would provide a centralised space in a suitable location offering a wide range of services, including access to housing supports, assertive outreach, welfare and medical care. It will also help to mitigate premature deaths among people who are homeless, with 20 such deaths recorded in the Cork region in 2020. HSE Southwest and CCC have together identified a property in the city centre which is available for a long-term lease and possible purchase. It is proposed that existing HSE services and a newly funded addiction care service will be relocated to this property, while Cork City Council commits to establish a day care service operating 7 days a week.

The proposal is aligned with the pathway to eradicate homelessness set out in Housing for All, specifically action 3.13 – strengthen integrated care pathways for people who are homeless with chronic health needs based on an inclusion health model, to achieve better health outcomes and to reduce premature death.

The HSE National Service Plan 2025 sets out a number of actions to meet the health needs to people who are homeless, including to maintain essential public health measures, consolidate advancements in healthcare delivery for people experiencing homelessness, provide health supports for 256 new Housing First tenancies and improve and expand access to healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness.

Officials in the Dept of Health are reviewing the capital costs of this proposal in the context of the HSE Capital Plan 2025, which is expected to be published shortly.

I am very supportive of the proposal and look forward to seeing it progress under the HSE service and capital plans and with the support of the Dept of Housing.