I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne. I congratulate him on his new appointment and I wish him well.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Tourism Policy
I congratulate the Minister of State. I commend him on his work as the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs. He did an exemplary job. I wish him the best of luck in his new post. I thank him for taking this matter on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
I want to raise the question of the short-term tourist letting register being proposed by the Government. I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, which will hear presentations at a meeting this afternoon, including from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I was concerned when the proposal was published. We all know there is a problem with the availability of long-term letting in Ireland. There is a view that doing something to tackle short-term lets being available would suddenly make a lot more long-term properties available. The website of the Department, citing Fáilte Ireland, estimates that as a result of the proposed register up to 12,000 properties could come back onto the long-term rental market. This is a particularly dangerous prediction to make and, quite frankly, it is nonsense. There is no way we will see 12,000 properties come onto the long-term rental market as a result of the introduction of the register. What is the basis on which the Department asserted this figure? I get the sense it has been plucked out of the air.
I appreciate that a number of people, particularly in urban areas, are skirting some of the rules. They put up properties on a regular basis for short-term lets. These represent a minority of the properties that are short-term lets. I am concerned about the potential impact of this on tourism, particularly during the summer and particularly in rural and coastal areas, if it is not properly thought out and if there is no consultation with the stakeholders in the sector.
If we think about short-term lets, it is not just those properties that get let out week after week on Airbnb, booking.com and other sites. The majority of lettings on Airbnb are rooms in family homes. They are not available throughout the year. They are often available only during particular periods of the year, in some instances when festivals are on. I am conscious of the Wexford Opera Festival, the Rose of Tralee and the Cork Jazz Festival. To accommodate people under pressure families make rooms available for people who are guests. In other instances, we have business people coming here who may require accommodation for a certain number of weeks while they find permanent accommodation elsewhere.
We have a number of self-catering and holiday cottages. While they may be beautiful in July, the idea of staying in them during a freezing cold January is certainly not appealing. The tourism sector is already under pressure because a lot of accommodation is being used to house displaced persons from Ukraine and other areas. I am worried this has not been properly thought out. It is taking a housing sledgehammer to try to solve an issue. The impact this will have on tourism will cause a problem.
There may now be a requirement on older properties to have their planning permission updated with regard to the planning regulations. This may require applying to a local authority to change the planning permission for older holiday properties. I am concerned about this. I believe it will have a serious impact on the tourism sector. I urge that there be consultation with the sector. I do not believe that adequate assessment has been carried out of the impact on tourism of this proposal.
I thank the Senator and the Cathaoirleach for their kind comments. I thank the Senator for raising this matter and I apologise that the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, is not available. She asked me to take this matter.
The Government approved the priority drafting of the registration of short-term tourist letting Bill and publication of the general scheme of the Bill in December. It provides for the registration of short-term tourist lettings with Fáilte Ireland in line with the commitment under Housing for All, the Government's housing policy. The Minister has since written to the Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, of which the Senator Malcolm is a member, in line with agreed protocols for pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation. This afternoon, departmental officials, along with officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Fáilte Ireland, will attend a meeting of the committee in public session for pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme. Many of the issues the Senator has raised can be fleshed out in more detail with the officials.
The Department is also engaging with the European Commission on the draft legislation under the notification requirements of the technical regulations information system directive.
The main provisions of the Bill are the establishment of a short-term tourist letting register, the provision that any party offering accommodation for periods of up to and including 21 nights will need to be registered with Fáilte Ireland and an obligation on those advertising properties for short-term letting to ensure that they have valid registration numbers. The Bill also provides for enforcement of the proposed regulations.
The rapid growth of short-term tourist letting is a worldwide trend. In the international context, it is notable that on 7 November last, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation to enhance transparency in the field of short-term accommodation rentals and help public authorities ensure that the balanced development of this sector as part of a sustainable wider tourism sector. The Commission stated that while short-term accommodation bookings offer benefits for hosts and tourists, they can, of course, create concerns for local communities struggling, for example, with a lack of affordable housing. Our Department's statement of strategy includes the goal of supporting the recovery and economic growth of a competitive tourism sector that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. The Government's housing policy, Housing for All, includes the objective of making more efficient use of existing housing. One of the actions to achieve this is the development of new regulatory controls requiring short-term and holiday lets to register with Fáilte Ireland with a view to ensuring houses are used to best effect in areas of housing need, including in the Senator's constituency.
Using data derived from screen-scraping, which is the only source of data available in the absence of the register, which we propose to establish, Fáilte Ireland estimates that approximately 30,000 short-term tourist letting properties in the State are currently advertised online. It is impossible to forecast with any certainty at this stage but it is estimated that of the 30,000 relevant properties, up to 12,000 properties may become available for long-term housing requirements. The Senator can discuss that in more detail with the officials this afternoon.
While the loss of properties from the short-term letting sector will impact on the availability of tourism accommodation, it is important that growth in tourism is sustainable and does not impact adversely on host communities. The establishment of the register will help the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and local authorities in ensuring proper planning and sustainable development. From a tourism perspective, the proposed legislation will for the first time allow Fáilte Ireland to have a full picture of tourist accommodation across the State, significantly enhancing its ability to promote and drive tourism investment. The Bill will be examined further during the drafting process. In that context, what the Senator and other members of the committee are saying, the proposed EU regulation the Digital Services Act, which came into force in November, will be taken into account.
With regard to resourcing of this initiative, I understand that Fáilte Ireland has appointed a dedicated team of ten staff to establish, maintain and implement the proposed short-term tourist letting register. This team is helped by other teams across Fáilte Ireland, including those with responsibility in the areas of legal, ICT and finance. Preparations are being made for the launch of the register, including the establishment of systems and procedures to maintain it and stakeholder engagements.
I thank the Minister of State. The Senator has one minute for supplementary questions.
I note the Minister of State's language when he indicated the Department stated that it is impossible to estimate or that it cannot estimate how many properties will be available. This is not what it says on the Department's website, which indicates much more clearly that we will see 12,000 coming back into use.
Nobody disputes the need for a register. A register makes sense; it has to be a level playing field. The difficulty is that because there has not been adequate consultation with stakeholders, it will have a real impact on tourism in rural and coastal areas and elsewhere. I get where there are pressures in terms of long-term rentals. My worry is that while we might gain a small number of additional long-term rentals as a result of this, we will actually see a lot of short-term lettings coming out of the tourism sector. That will cause a real problem this summer. We will obviously have further engagement but I ask the Minister of State take back that there should be consultation with the stakeholders to ensure this is done properly.
The Minister of State has one minute if he wishes to give a quick response.
I thank the Senator for raising the issue. The Minister said she looks forward to working with Oireachtas colleagues to progress the legislation in the interests of tourism and its sustainable development and in contributing to solving our housing crisis. We hope this legislation passes this year.
I am not privy to its agenda, but I have no doubt the joint committee will be taking the full opportunity to engage with as many stakeholders as possible. We have a very serious housing crisis in this country. We must pull every single lever to house our people while making sure our economy can continue to thrive. Our economy includes that very important industry of tourism.
Forestry Sector
I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter and I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to deal with it. I appreciate her coming here now because as the Acting Chairman will know, we will be discussing this later. I thank the Minister of State and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, for agreeing to appear before the committee later today to discuss this matter.
I have two specific issues, the first of which is about the forestry programme while the second concerns the Gresham House investment. Since I tabled this matter, things have become somewhat clearer. I will touch on them with regard to commentary attributed to both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste by RTÉ news yesterday on the web.
I will start of on a positive because that is important. We had some engagement on Thursday of last week. I started off by saying to both the Minister of State and the Minister that forestry was in crisis. The Minister suggested and, indeed, maybe the Minister of State did too, that it may have been in crisis but we are past that stage. The Minister of State will defend her case, and I appreciate and respect that. One thing that must be made very clear in a discussion in any political engagement is that people should have courtesy and show respect. I want to show that at all times to the Minister of State and any other Minister who comes to this House.
In that context, and on a positive note, I think we all agree on a few principles in terms of a sustainable forestry sector that can achieve commercial climate and biodiversity goals, namely: a reduction in the volume of imported timber, where possible and practical; actively pursuing the timber options for the construction of new homes, which is an area of great potential; improving the current licensing schemes that are holding back potential forestry industry; and maximising the timelines for every application and function in the licensing system to fully implement the Mackinnon report in a defined timeframe.
I did a word search in respect of the programme for Government earlier. Interestingly, the word "forestry" appears 15 times. It was very easy to pull up the 15 asks associated with the word, one of which is that we roll out the recommendations of the Mackinnon report. I accept that mattes move on and that things have changed in two and a half years, but I would like to hear some detail in respect of the matter to which I refer.
There is also the issue of a forestry development agency. We have a different view on that or the Department does not see fit to have a defined and designated forestry development agency that promotes and represents the sector. There is a view in the private sector that Coillte has advantages over it. That is a particular issue.
It is important that we have clarity. I am not necessarily looking for the Minister of State to go into great detail on the Gresham House report today. Clearly, we have now been told it is a done deal and there is no rolling back on it. The Taoiseach said yesterday that contracts have been signed. Therefore, if contracts have been signed, that is it. We have to be upfront with people. I know the Minister of State will be upfront this evening because that is clearly an issue we cannot revisit. However, the Tánaiste and Taoiseach talked about a new way for Coillte to pursue other options in terms of investment. I would like to hear something about that. This is really critical. I was in the Minister of State's constituency on Monday and visited C.J. Sheeran's wood construction company. He is a very impressive man with a very impressive company. I met the workers and saw the pallet operation and was highly impressed. I asked Mr. Mark Sheeran as I left his office what three things he would like me to ask the Minister of State. He said to plant trees, trees and more trees. That is the simple message. I would like to briefly hear a little bit about the Mackinnon report and the commitments to roll it out. I do not want to pre-empt what the Minister of State will say later at committee. That would not be right or fair. All the members will be there later.
The issue is that I received a call from a major forester today who told me the reality is that the Department is not accepting new applications for planting trees, which is unheard of in the State. We know those who have had planting licences approved for up to 31 September 2022 can immediately avail of the grants but the Department is not accepting new ones.
The final matter I will ask is about when this strategy will be adopted. I am conscious of the Commission and State funding rules and all of that. Those are some issues on which I would appreciate the Minister of State's response.
I thank Senator Boyhan for his fair and measured observations of the forestry sector.
He asked a few more questions than were in his original question but we will see how we get through them.
I welcome the opportunity to update Senators on the progress of the new forestry programme and Coillte's plans to increase afforestation. As Members will know, afforestation levels in recent years have been declining and we recognise that urgent action is needed to address this decline. This is why the Government has committed €1.3 billion to the new forestry programme, with substantially higher payments for farmers than for other landowners. This is the biggest and best funded forestry programme ever introduced by any Government here, and it has been designed to have a greater emphasis on close to nature forestry and to ensure that farmers will be its primary beneficiaries.
The forestry programme 2023-2027 is subject to state aid approval from the European Commission, as referenced by Senator Boyhan. The previous state aid guidelines in the forestry sector expired on 31 December 2022 and have been replaced with a revised version as of January 2023. The introduction of these revised guidelines meant that a formal application for state aid could not have been submitted to the European Commission until the revised guidelines were in place. However, my Department's engagement with the Commission is progressing well. We engaged with it towards the end of last year in advance of this date and we are working intensively to submit the formal application and secure full state aid approval for the forestry programme 2023-2027 as early as possible this year.
While the state aid approval process is ongoing, my Department has introduced an interim afforestation and roads scheme in order that those with valid approvals under the old forestry programme can plant and build roads now. Under the interim arrangements we have put in place, over 7,000 ha of existing afforestation licences can now proceed to planting stage at the rates proposed to be paid under the new programme. Licences for felling and non-grant-aided roads licences will also continue to issue.
While our farmers will deliver the vast majority of our new forests by planting on their land under the attractive new incentives we have put in place, there is also an important role for the State forester, Coillte, in helping to achieve our ambitious afforestation targets. In its new strategy, Coillte has indicated it will support the delivery of Ireland's afforestation targets through a suite of initiatives which will contribute about a fifth of our 2050 targets. As one of a number of models it intends to deploy in order to enable afforestation at a meaningful scale, Coillte has partnered with the Irish Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, to establish the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund. My understanding is that, under this fund, roughly 3,500 ha of new forests will be planted over the next five years. To put those 3,500 ha of new forests in the context of our overall targets for new forests by 2050, the Irish Strategic Forestry Fund will create less than 1% of the forests we need to create by 2050. Coillte will not be selling any existing publicly owned forests to the fund, nor will Coillte seek to purchase any other public land on behalf of the fund.
Coillte has outlined that this fund is one of a number of models it will deploy in contributing to the State's overall forestry targets. Coillte is progressing with planting native woodlands through the not-for-profit Nature Trust, as well as engaging with local authorities and public bodies to identify land already in public ownership suitable for new native woodlands. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I met with Coillte last week and we have asked it to consider the full range of possible models to deliver on its targets for new forest creation between now and 2050, and to consider how Coillte can work more closely with farmers and local communities.
I would like to be very clear that the primary model by which the State will deliver on forestry is by farmers planting trees on their own land. This is why we have made afforestation an attractive option on farms and designed the €1.3 billion forestry programme to ensure that farmers will be its biggest beneficiaries. Farmers will receive 33% more premium payments than any other landowner under the new programme, in addition to receiving the basic income support for sustainability on forested land, which non-farmers will not receive.
I thank the Minister of State. We will have a greater opportunity this evening to discuss this matter. I want to raise two issues following on from the response of the Minister of State. There was a lot in her response so I want to consider it in some detail before this evening. It is clear that the new forestry programme 2023 to 2027 cannot be fully operational until it has this clarification in regard to EU state aid approval. It is also clear, or at least it is what I pick up from what the Minister of State has said, that the formal completed application to the Commission has not yet been made. The Minister of State might confirm that because it is pretty serious. We are talking about time constraints and the Minister informed me last week that it will take up to eight months to complete that process, although we hope it will be shorter. Those are the two issues, that the forestry programme for 2023 cannot commence until we have formal EU approval for state aid and that the Minister of State has indicated the formal complete application has not yet been made to the Commission.
Yes, we need to receive full state aid approval before we can fully get our forestry programme up and running. However, as I indicated, that does not stop any trees going in the ground. Anyone who has an existing licence can plant under the arrangements of the proposed new programme, and we have been given that permission. I understand we are finalising our over-and-back process with the Commission and we have to get back to the Commission with more information. I would like to think we will be making our informed submission in a matter of weeks. As the Minister said last week, the process can last for between two and eight months. I know eight months sounds like a very long time, and it is, but the last time we did this back in 2014, it was a three-month process. We have done a lot of work and we engaged with the Commission prior to the end of last year, so I would like to think we have ticked the necessary boxes. We will just have to wait and see what comes back. It is important that we get that state aid approval and get this right.
Housing Schemes
We move to the matter raised by Senator John Cummins. On my own behalf, as a former colleague in this House of the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, it gives me great pleasure to welcome him back on his first visit to the House in the Minister's chair. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the very best going forward. I call Senator Cummins.
I echo those comments in welcoming my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who is a former Member of this House. I look forward to working with him in my role as spokesman and also as a member of the joint Oireachtas committee. We will have a lot of legislation in the House in the months ahead, not least in the area of planning, and I know the Minister of State will be a regular visitor here as a result. I congratulate him and have no doubt he will do exceptional work in his new role.
I want to bring a particular problem to the Minister of State's attention regarding what I feel are arbitrary ceilings on the maximum market value of properties that can be purchased with the assistance of the local authority home loan. There are also two further issues I want to raise, the first relating to the income limits that apply to applicants and the second relating to the interaction of the local authority home loan with the local authority affordable purchase scheme. For today's purposes, I am going to use my own county of Waterford, not to be parochial but because, thankfully, all of the schemes under Housing for All are available in Waterford at the moment.
The maximum market value of a property that can be purchased or self-built using the local authority home loan is €320,000 for the counties of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow and €250,000 for the rest of the country. It is my contention that the threshold of €250,000 for the counties outside of Dublin, Cork and the commuter belt is too low, in particular for the counties of Waterford and the Minister of State's county of Limerick. I believe it needs to be increased to €300,000. More important, and of even more urgency, is how the local authority home loan interacts with the local authority affordable purchase price. In Waterford at the moment, Waterford City and County Council has, thankfully, 117 affordable purchase properties available for purchase at Summerfields and Deerpark in Waterford city.
Sales are progressing well, although many of those properties are still available. I encourage anybody who wants assistance with them to contact the local authority.
The issue that has been brought to my attention by the local authority is the fact that the home loan is based on the market value of the property as opposed to the affordable purchase price, which means that purchasers are not in a position to use that local authority home loan and are restricted to participating lending institutions. While this is okay in the vast majority of cases, a number of people will need to avail of a loan who have been refused adequate loans from the pillar banks. Regarding a house priced at €300,000 under the affordable housing scheme, that is the market value. When the equity discount of €75,000 is applied to that, it brings the price down to €225,000. This means that a couple on a very average combined income of €51,000 are able to purchase a €300,000 A-rated home. While this is a fantastic opportunity in an excellent scheme, some people will need to avail of the local authority home loan. I am looking for it to be based on the affordable purchase price as opposed to the market value of the home. Perhaps the Minister of State could address that. The income threshold outside the commuter belt is €50,000 for an individual and €75,000 for a couple. These thresholds need to be looked at.
I thank the Acting Chairman for his kind comments. As a former Member of this House, I very much look forward to working with the House in my capacity as Minister of State in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and some additional issues and allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on this matter. I am well aware of the work the Senator does in Waterford and, more particularly, as my party's spokesperson on housing in the Seanad.
The local authority home loan is a Government-backed mortgage for first-time buyers or other eligible applicants through local authorities. The scheme is available for the purchase of new or second-hand residential properties and for self-builds. The loan is aimed at buyers who are unable to secure the mortgage they need from a financial lending institution. The local authority home loan has been available nationwide from all local authorities since 4 January 2022.
The income ceiling for a single applicant is €65,000, which is up from €50,000 under the previous scheme, the Rebuilding Ireland home Loan, for residential properties in counties Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow where the maximum market values of the properties is €320,000. There is a €50,000 income ceiling for single applicants seeking to purchase homes in all other counties where the maximum market value of the property is €250,000. The ceiling for joint applicants is €75,000 nationwide.
It is important to note that the house price limits for homes sold under local authority affordable housing schemes are calculated differently from the house price limits for homes bought on the open market. One is a market value, while the other is a discounted purchase price value. If a home is being sold under a local authority affordable purchase scheme, the relevant price for the determination of the home's eligibility for the local authority home loan and for the maximum borrowing amount is the purchase price determined by the relevant local authority for that affordable purchase home. Regardless of the market value, if the purchase price is below the relevant maximum price under the local authority home loan for that local authority, it is eligible to be purchased using the local authority home loan. The basis for that is Statutory Instrument No. 701 of 2021, Housing Loan Regulations 2021. That was circulated to every local authority and specified that it is the purchase price that should be taken into account for complying with the house price limit if the home is purchased under the local authority affordable purchase scheme. That is the discounted price.
To ensure there is absolute clarity, particularly for the Senator in the context of Waterford, my Department is preparing a guidance note on the interaction of the local authority home loan with the local authority affordable purchase scheme. This will provide a detailed example of how the two schemes should interact. As it stands, SI 701 of 2021, Housing Loan Regulations 2021, provides that it is the discounted purchase price and not the market price that can be used to comply. If the discounted price is below €250,000, a person can avail of the home loan scheme as well. In the example cited by the Senator, the purchase price is €230,000, which is within the local authority home loan scheme limits for Waterford.
All local authorities with local authority affordable purchase schemes will have homes within current house price limits and, as such, both schemes work well together. While it may be the case that not every local authority affordable purchase home will be eligible, such as larger and, in particular, higher priced houses, this is understandable as the local authority home loan is aimed at a lower income cohort.
We will continue to monitor these scheme parameters as the housing market has changed since the house price limits were first set. It goes back to the Senator's point about the price and the income threshold. I will take the matter up with my Department in terms of the review. It is important that the local authority home loan remains relevant for aspiring homeowners. It is reasonable, as the Senator suggests, that local authority affordable purchase houses should generally be eligible for purchase using the local authority home loan. We are keeping the appropriate house price limits under review and will ensure that any changes to house price limits maintain coherence between these schemes.
I thank the Minister of State for confirming that it is based on the affordable purchase price as opposed to the market value of the house. I welcome his statement that the Department will issue a guidance note to all local authorities because to be honest, many of them, including my local authority, are not aware of the scheme's interaction with the local authority home loan. There is still an issue because if somebody is only entitled to a €40,000 discount on a property, bringing the affordable purchase price to €260,000 in this case, he or she cannot access it. My initial point about looking to increase the maximum market value from €250,000 to €300,000 still stands and I would like to see the single income threshold of €65,000, which applies to the commuter belt, apply nationally and the €75,000 threshold for a couple increase to €85,000, to reflect current market conditions.
I thank the Senator for this discussion. The guidance note will issue. I will take the matter up with the Department. The statutory instrument is self-explanatory and I will ask that it be circulated to local authorities with immediate effect, with a follow-up in terms of the guidance note.
As noted previously, the application of the house price limits under the local authority home loan is different for the homes purchased under local authority affordable purchase schemes. The limits specifically refer to purchase prices, not market prices, and this ensures that the vast majority of affordable homes, including those in the example cited by the Senator, are eligible for purchase under the local authority home loan. Therefore, I consider that the schemes are designed to work in tandem. That principle is hugely important and the Senator has made that point.
We are keeping the local authority home loan under review to ensure it continues to be relevant in the current housing market so it can be a realistic support to home ownership. Any proposals to increase the house price would need to maintain coherence between the schemes to support the local authority affordable purchase scheme. Any changes to the home loan would require the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. We will advise colleagues in Government further when any changes are forthcoming.
Health Services Provision
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the House.
The Minister of State is more than welcome. I have a Commencement matter about the ophthalmology services in the Cork-Kerry region. I am looking for an update on the proposed theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital and the proposed outpatients department in Ballincollig. The ophthalmology services in our region have, unfortunately, been poor for a considerable time. At the moment there is a waiting list of more than 4,500 people, of whom 2,469, unfortunately, have been waiting more than a year for an appointment. There is very much a need for a comprehensive service on the ground. Works have been put in place over the past three years in particular to make sure capital infrastructure is in place to build on where we are going. That capital infrastructure involves two theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, which have been constructed, and a major complex that has been built in Ballincollig, which is an outpatients centre. These are two significant developments for the region. When these two are fully staffed and operational, that will be the solution to this problem going forward.
However, this matter is about trying to get clarity on the staffing levels and where we are with staff. The Minister, on 6 December, gave an assurance that funding had been released for the appointment of surgeons for the theatres in the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, which is a really important part of this matter. We need to make sure we get the consultants and surgeons who are required to man the service that is being put in place. I am looking for an update on that 6 December announcement by the Minister that he had released funding, to know where we are in that recruitment programme. Have appropriate candidates been lined up? Is there a timeline? When will surgeons commence operations on that complex in order that we can have these two wonderful brand-new theatres brought into full use?
In regard to the outpatients centre, which is an amazing complex at Ballincollig in the primary care centre, it is proposed that 35 staff will be required. This will cover the entire region of Cork-Kerry. It is a significant development. This is about trying to make sure we can get the staff in place sooner rather than later to have the service up and running. We need to make sure that we have both the outpatients centre and the theatres working in tandem in order that the current list of 4,500 people can be brought down dramatically. It is all about recruitment. I realise there are significant pressures in recruitment and trying to attract international consultants is a struggle. The need for this region to have qualified, trained and appropriate staff to man both complexes is important. I appeal for an update on when the surgeons will take over and when we will have work on the ground to open the theatres.
In addition the outpatient clinic is a significant development. Having 35 people based in Ballincollig for this service will surely have a huge knock-on impact on this waiting list. Will the Minister of State provide an update on those two issues and enlighten both myself and the House on how these are developing?
I thank the Senator for the opportunity to come before the House to give an update on this matter. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. I have no doubt that if the Minister was here, he would be quite disappointed with the level of detail in the script I have in front of me because it really does not address everything that the Senator asked about. Perhaps we might address it in a roundabout way and we get to the endgame on it.
The demand for ophthalmic services has grown in the region over the past number of years. This is due both to the development of new treatments and the ageing population profile. Recent reports predict this demand will continue to increase in the coming years. The Senator is quite right in that this is going on since 2017 when the National Clinical Programme for Ophthalmology Model of Eye Care 2017 and the reconfiguration of acute hospital services for Cork and Kerry commenced. It was decided that there should be a regional department of ophthalmology. The South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital was chosen as the site best suited for this. As part of these developments the ophthalmology outpatients department, OPD, the eye casualty at Cork University Hospital and the OPD from Mercy University Hospital will transfer to a new ophthalmology OPD and eye casualty building at South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital. The South-South West Hospital Group, SSWHG, has advised that it expects that the new operating theatres will be open in March 2023. If I was to read between the lines, that is when I would think that the surgeon will be appointed and that is the start date. Surely we are not going to open a building without the people who are part and parcel of it? The new ophthalmology unit OPD includes two operating theatres, anaesthetic, scrub and prep rooms, a recovery unit and an ophthalmology day unit. The unit will also include the most modern equipment and will have access to supportive diagnostic technology. In addition to developing hospital services, this unit will also support continued work with the regional eye care service based in the primary community care centre in Ballincollig.
The Ballincollig centre will treat patients through multidisciplinary teams, MDTs, working together to provide patient care in a community setting. It will bring care closer to the patient's home, increase integration between the hospital and community settings and deliver the best outcomes for children and adults requiring ophthalmic care in the Cork and Kerry areas. The HSE is currently working on equipping the centre, including with specialist ICT infrastructure, and ensuring it is appropriately staffed.
There are two significant dates. One is March 2023. which is for the theatres. That is what the Senator asked about in regard to the surgeon. Then there is May 2023 which is when the additional 35 staff will be in place. Knowing that it takes the guts of nine months to recruit a staff member within the HSE I have no doubt, reading between the lines, that the fact we have opening dates that recruitment for such posts is under way. We cannot say we are going to open in March if we do not have the key people to run the unit. I would take, from reading that, that staff will be there for March 2023 but it will be May 2023 for the community care centre in Ballincollig. I will ask the Minister to find out from the officials where we are in the recruitment process because, as the Senator rightly said, recruitment and retention is difficult and challenging but that is quite specialised.
We need to know that we are down to a selection process at this stage because people would need to be able to give notice in their other jobs if they were transferring over.
It is positive news to think we are probably eight weeks away from having the surgeon that is required to have these two theatres up and running. This issue has been around since 2017, as the Minister of State said. To think we are coming to the endgame is important. The endgame is that we have a date and a time. We have the infrastructure and now we have a date on which it is going to open. That is a positive step forward for the people of the Cork-Kerry region. If we can have those theatres up and running in the next eight or ten weeks, there will be a significant change in the service in the region.
Following that, in May 2023, which is only a few weeks later, the outpatients department will open. That is a positive step. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the Chamber. It has been a positive morning and this is real progress on an issue that has dogged our region for so long.
I thank the Senator. He is right. As long as I have been a Deputy, I have heard about the crisis in ophthalmology in the Cork-Kerry area. It is testament to the Senator and other public representatives who have continued to advocate for the key capital infrastructure that was needed. Now that we have it, not just on one train but we have it at community level, we are able to deal with people who need surgery and that level of intervention. I believe once and for all, for the people listening in today from the Cork-Kerry area, significant investment is going in on the capital side but also in current expenditure to have the staff in place to look after patients' needs, not just older people but right across the community from young to old. The Senator's constituents and the people of Cork and Kerry will no longer have to take the bus that we hear about on a regular basis. Senator Lombard along with his elected representatives in government will have delivered infrastructure and revenue in order that the people can be supported as close to home as possible.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.20 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.30 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.20 a.m. and resumed at 11.30 a.m.