Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Oct 2001

Vol. 168 No. 7

Adjournment Matters. - Nursing Homes.

Mrs. Taylor-Quinn

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue for the fourth time on the Adjournment in the Seanad. I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Hanafin. It is unfortunate that neither the Minister nor the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, who addressed this issue in the past is here. Maybe it is a good omen that the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, is here and that she will be in a position to bring this matter to a closure this evening.

This scenario goes back to last year when the Stella Maris was closed down by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Evron. I will not put on record again all that has been done by the local community in an attempt to ensure it is reopened. To put it bluntly, it is the internal politics in Fianna Fáil that is now the stumbling block to the reopening of the nursing home. I am sorry to have to put that on the record of this House. I know that will not rest easy with the Minister of State because she is above that.

It is unfortunately the elderly people of north Clare who are being used as a political football and, frankly, this is contemptible behaviour. The Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, visited the Stella Maris nursing home at the end of March this year and was impressed by the fine presentation that was made. Contacts were made between the Department of Health and Children and the health board. I gather that discussions were protracted but it was supposed to be only a matter of time before a solution was found. Every stumbling block appears to have been put in the way in the meantime. I had hoped that the Stella Maris would be in a position to reopen at the onset of winter, but we are in a position where nothing has been decided and the latest information is that another Minister, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, is to be approached for funding under a rural development initiative.

It is time for the nonsense to stop. Both the health board and the Department agree that the demography of the area is such that it fully merits an elderly care nursing home. That has been conceded, yet nothing has happened. Over a year ago the Minister, Deputy Martin, told me that money was there for the purchase of a property. Research was done into the renovation work required to be done which would cost possibly another £500,000 to £600,000, therefore, in all up to £1.1 million would be required to get the home up and running.

At various stages approaches were made by private individuals who wanted to invest, but now if one was to buy it outright and undertake the renovations, the costs that would have to be charged to each patient would be prohibitive. The community is prepared to run the nursing home if they get the necessary co-operation from the powers that be. It is down to the basic issue of providing funding to purchase it, refurbish it and hand it over to the local community.

How can there be such a callous disregard for the elderly people of north Clare by the Department? I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, has not had any involvement in this issue and it is unfortunate that neither the Minister nor the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, is here. I appeal to the Minister to end this nonsense and tell his Fianna Fáil colleagues in Clare to stop playing politics with the health of the elderly of north Clare, who deserve an elderly care unit in their area. Commitments have been made by the health board and the Department and it is now up to them to take action. It is well beyond time that the funding necessary to proceed down that route is provided.

Ms Hanafin

As the Senator will be aware, decisions in relation to the provision of health services in County Clare are a matter for the Mid-Western Health Board. The Stella Maris nursing home is a privately-owned facility operated by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Evron. Late in 2000 it was decided to dispose of the property on the open market and a closing date of 31 December 2000 was set. The health board informed my Department that prior to its closure residents found alternative accommodation and any person who experienced difficulty was assisted by the board. Furthermore, the health board advised that some interest had been expressed by prospective purchasers in the Stella Maris private nursing home and in this context the board would be prepared to discuss options for the contracting of services without prior commitment on the board's part.

Since that time a local voluntary group, the Stella Maris Nursing Home Committee, has been established. The committee has made a detailed proposal in relation to the possible future development of the home which would require the health board to consider purchasing the property and subsequently leasing it to a board of directors operating as a charitable trust on behalf of the local communities. The committee forwarded its proposal to the Mid-Western Health Board for consideration.

On foot of representations made to my Department some members of the committee met departmental officials on 19 June 2001. A presentation of the proposals was provided and it was agreed that the Department would contact the Mid-Western Health Board to canvass the views of the board on the proposals in the context of the board's regional requirements and priorities for services for older people.

It was also suggested at the meeting that the committee would continue to liaise with the Mid-Western Health Board and it was pointed out that the question of acquiring the home would have to be considered in the context of the board's local service requirements and priorities. In this regard, the Department, the health board and the committee have had several discussions. The Senator may be assured that every consideration has been given to the proposals. The Department actively continues to follow up the proposal and is hopeful that an early decision will be made on it.

The Mid-Western Health Board has received significant increases in funding for services for older people in recent years. The amount of additional funding has increased from £180,000 in 1997 to £225,000 in 1998, to £500,000 in 1999 and £1.994 million in 2000. The figure for 2001 is £3.573 million. In the case of the nursing home subvention scheme, the amount made available rose from £1.169 million in 1994, the first full year of the scheme, to almost £4 million in 2000. The figure for 2001 is approximately £4.5 million.

Mrs. Taylor-Quinn

Does the Minister of State believe that a positive decision will be made in favour of the Stella Maris nursing home?

Ms Hanafin

As the Senator well knows, it is not in my remit to say anything other than that an early decision is expected.