Thomas Gould
Question:2788. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the status of the reopening of the HSE Keltoi Rehabilitation Unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39161/21]
View answerTuesday, 27 July 2021
Questions (2788)
Written answers
As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE.
Members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point .
I can provide the Deputy with the most recent information provided by the HSE in relation to Keltoi Residential Unit on the 05th May 2021.
Keltoi Residential Unit previously provided residential rehabilitation program to service users as follow on to participants completing a residential detox program. As part of the HSE response to Covid-19 services provided by Keltoi were suspended so that the facility could be used as part of our critical response to the challenge of Covid-19 in our area.
The facility in Keltoi provides a specific Social Inclusion response to the management of Covid-19 in the area that cannot be met within other services that have been set up by the HSE. The requirement for the use of Keltoi as Covid-19 response will be continually reviewed but it is anticipated that Keltoi would be required for the foreseeable future.
The HSE had previously moved the aftercare programme to our Stanhope Centre in Dublin 7 rather than in Keltoi. This programme has continued to operate delivered by Keltoi counselling staff who are based in the Stanhope Centre since the residential programme closed through online sessions. Staff from Keltoi triaged all aftercare clients and provided 1 to 1 counselling by telephone / online and online group work for others that were in aftercare so as service users were still provided therapeutic support. Also additional health and social supports, including consultant psychiatrist support have continued to be provided as required.
The closure of Keltoi has reduced an average 52 treatment beds per year and HSE has purchased extra capacity in other Tier 4 services for addiction service users to accommodate the above shortfall across the Dublin region.