Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen to meet with HSE regarding closure of vital health services in Galway, Cork and Tipperary

The meeting at 1.30pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will discuss:

• Public Petition Number P00020/23 ‘The Concerned Citizens Group call on the HSE to immediately re-open the existing purpose-built Seven Springs Day Centre for use by the people of Loughrea and Surrounding Catchment Area.’ from Mr Mattie Quinn;
• Public Petition Number P00042/21 ‘Saving the services of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, east Cork’ from Ms Joanna Curtis;  
• Public Petition Number P00048/21 ‘Save St Brigid’s Hospital’ from Mr David Dunne.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Martin Browne said: “The Committee has previously discussed the petitions regarding saving vital health services at Owenacurra in Midleton, Co Cork, St Brigid’s in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary and Seven Springs Day Care Centre in Loughrea, Co Galway, and heard detailed submissions from all the petitioners.

“Members now look forward to hearing the response of the HSE and the senior executives in three regions regarding the closure of these important services, which were so valued by people in east Galway, east Cork and south Tipperary. We are particularly interested in hearing from the HSE how they propose to provide these services in the future.”

The Committee will also discuss the following petitions:

• P00021/21 ‘Taking in Charge’ from Mr Terrence Coskeran;
• P00036/21 ‘Reform of Insurance for Thatched Heritage Buildings’ from Ms Kate McNelis;
• P00006/23: ‘Failure of the 2005 Disability Act in providing a provision of services to children in need of disability services particularly in Cavan/Monaghan’ from Mr Ronan Whitmarsh;
• P00022/23: ‘Supreme Court referral of the Incitement to Hatred Bill 2022’ from Mr Stephen J. Delaney;
• P00024/23: ‘Electric Scooter Safety, Standards and Requirements’ from Mr Alexander-Marckus Edwards;
• P00030/23 ‘Create a walking and cycling greenway on the closed railway from Sligo to Athenry’ from Mr Brendan Quinn; and
• P00034/23 ‘Irish State to support Catalan and or the Basque language being made an official EU language’ from Mr Carles Pujol;
• P00035-23 ‘Stop the Irish Government's Proposal to Cull 200,000 Cows’ from Mr Alfie Hollingsworth.

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen is a standing Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas and has 11 Members, seven from the Dáil and four from the Seanad.

The meeting in the Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.