asked the Minister for Health if it is intended to make further use of Macroom fever hospital, County Cork.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Macroom Fever Hospital.
18.
This small building, which was built as a fever hospital but was not in use for hospital purposes when it was decided to take it over to accommodate 20 tuberculosis patients in 1949, is not now required for fever hospital, sanatorium or district hospital purposes.
The only other purpose for which it could be used is the accommodation of persons normally accommodated in County Homes. In fact, I have such a proposal from the South Cork Board of Assistance before me at present.
I would be reluctant for several reasons to approve this proposal.
In the first place, there is less case nowadays for adding to our County Home population than there was formerly, when social welfare benefits were less generous and when there was no Disability Allowance, payable under the Health code, for which many persons who formerly had no alternative to entering such Homes are now eligible.
Secondly, modern thought favours the care of old people whenever possible in their own homes, among familar surroundings, rather than in institutions which remain institutional in character no matter how well they are conducted.
Thirdly, this small hospital would be uneconomic to run, because of its size.
However, I have not yet reached a final decision in the matter.