Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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126. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the planned new 95 en-suite bed residential care centre in Thomastown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23653/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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In 2016 a Capital Programme for Older Persons Residential Centres was developed in response to the introduction of HIQA’s National Residential Care Standards for Older People and the requirement that all facilities providing long stay beds be registered by HIQA. This is a programme to replace, upgrade and refurbish Community Nursing Units (CNUs), as appropriate, at 89 locations.

The new 95 bed CNU in Thomastown is part of this Programme.

As of end-2024 51 CNUs from the Programme are completed.

17 CNUs are currently under construction. 7 of these, including the CNU at Thomastown, are being delivered through Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

The remaining 21 CNUs are at various stages of appraisal, review, design or tender.

With regards to the PPP CNUs, while the buildings themselves are largely built there are a number of outstanding items that need to be addressed prior to completion. It is important to ensure these issues are resolved to enable HIQA registration. All parties are actively engaging to address all outstanding items to achieve construction completion for each of the 7 PPP sites, including Thomastown.

The new CNU in Thomastown is anticipated to complete construction in Q3 2025. This will be a purpose-built facility to support the older population of South and Central Kilkenny. It will support discharges from St Luke's Kilkenny and University Hospital Waterford.

Following construction completion and commissioning of the new build, the new building must be registered with HIQA as per the legislation set out in Schedule 1 of the Health Act 2007 (Registration of Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2015, as amended.

Workforce planning is progressing across all staff disciplines to ensure the required complement and skill mix of staff is in place to facilitate the operational schedule.

Once the Community Nursing Unit is registered, a timeline will be confirmed for services to be put in place.