Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Nov 1998

Vol. 497 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Hospital Services.

Mr. G. Reynolds:

I am delighted to have the opportunity to raise the issue of the new dementia unit at St. Patrick's Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon, which was provided at a cost of £750,000 and officially opened by the Minister for Health and Children last June but which, unfortunately, is still unused by patients.

At the outset I pay tribute to the matron and staff at St. Patrick's Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon for the excellent work they have done in the hospital in recent years. The patients are cared for very well and the hospital is well thought of by the patients in the hospital and their families. I also pay tribute to my colleague, Deputy Michael Noonan, who, as Minister for Health, provided £750,000 to build the Monsignor John A. Young Unit at St. Patrick's Hospital. However, I fail to understand how such an excellent facility, which was officially opened by the Minister, still has no patients or staff. It is not good business.

The Minister stated at the opening that he had provided an additional £7 million for the care of older people. It is disgraceful that the finance was not provided to have this dementia unit opened. Nineteen extra staff will be required to run the unit, and I am now demanding that Government provides the £400,000 through the North-Western Health Board, so that the people for whom this unit was provided is opened immediately. The situation at Carrick-on-Shannon cannot be allowed to continue. I hope the Minister will provide the extra funding to the North-Western Health Board.

This unit was opened to look after people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. We all know the ravages that disease wreaks on the people who suffer from it and on their families. I do not want to be facetious, but whoever in the Department of Health is responsible must have forgotten about it and probably should be considered for in-patient treatment there. I cannot understand why the money has not been provided to run such a fabulous unit. Will the Minister ask his colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, to provide the money as a matter of urgency so that this fine unit can be opened for people who really need it.

Mr. Treacy:

I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Brian Cowen.

The Minister understands the unit referred to by the Deputy to be the dementia unit based at St. Patrick's Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon. This unit has been developed in line with the North-Western Health Board's policy to provide nursing accommodation for older people in or as near as possible to their own home area. The unit is one of two which has been developed in the Sligo-Leitrim area, the other being in St. John's Hospital, Sligo, which was opened earlier this year.

Prior to the development of these two units, patients with severe dementia or Alzheimer's disease were accommodated in St. Columba's Psychiatric Hospital in Sligo and in accommodation on St. Patrick's campus. This accommodation is not suitable in the longer term for patients with this condition.

The 30 bed unit at St. Patrick's is a purpose designed facility to cater for the special needs of mentally infirm older patients and to provide respite for their families and carers in the community. This development will complement the comprehensive range of community services, hospital services, day care and respite services for older people in south Leitrim.

The unit has been developed at a capital cost of £750,000, and the intention was to have it open in the second half of this year. However, a number of staffing issues arose, which necessitated detailed discussions with the staff representatives concerned. In these circumstances, the board did not have the required agreement to proceed with opening the unit. However, negotiations with staff representatives are nearing completion and it is anticipated that all outstanding issues will be resolved in the near future which will enable the North-Western Health Board to open the unit.

We are committed in our programme for Government to providing care for older people. It would have been our wish to have this unit opened prior to this, but we are confident it will open shortly. I thank the Deputy for his interest in this very important issue.