Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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2400. To ask the Minister for Health if she will confirm that funding will be provided in 2025 for the provision of an integrated homeless health hub in Cork city (day centre), in view of the fact that a detailed proposal has been agreed upon between her Department, the HSE, Cork City Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, also taking into account there are over 500 homeless people in the city who have no place to go during the day as they are required to leave homeless accommodation each morning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20670/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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The Dept of Health is committed to strengthening integrated care pathways to meet the chronic health needs of people who are homeless. In line with this, the HSE capital plan 2025 will provide funding to expand healthcare facilities for people experiencing homelessness.

The HSE Capital Plan 2025 provides for a total of €1.33 billion for healthcare building and equipment that will deliver benefits all over the country. This significant investment in health infrastructure underlines the Government’s commitment to improving quality healthcare in a sustainable way.

The capital plan facilitates the development of infrastructure to support mental health service delivery, the delivery of more Primary Care Centres, HIQA Community Nursing Unit programme and community-based infrastructure to help ensure people can access appropriate care closer to home.

The HSE National Service Plan 2025 also contains a number of actions to improve and expand access to healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness.

HSE South West has developed a business case for an integrated inclusion health hub for people who are homeless in Cork City, in conjunction with Cork City Council. They have engaged with HSE Estates to assess the business case, with a view to securing funding in the capital plan.

The Dept of Health hosted a meeting with the promoters of the Integrated Inclusion Health Hub in October 2024. Officials from the Dept of Housing were also present. The Dept of Health is supportive of the proposal for the integrated inclusion health hub and is committed to working with the HSE to secure funding under the capital plan.

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.

I am 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.