I thank the Cathaoirleach for affording me the opportunity of raising this matter on the Adjournment. Once again, I raise the important matter of the reopening of the Stella Maris Nursing Home in Lisdoonvarna which has been an ongoing saga for a considerable time. The scenario to date has been that on 5 March the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Moffatt, visited the establishment where he had a constructive and detailed meeting with the local voluntary committee which presented a very detailed proposal to him. Subsequent to this the committee continued to make representations and presented the proposal to the Mid-Western Health Board and in more recent times to officials within the Department.
The official proposal has been presented by the Mid-Western Health Board to the Minister and is on his desk for the past month. The bottom line is that there are 47 beds for the elderly in Stella Maris Nursing Home which were full up to the time it was indicated by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Evron that they were going to close. They closed last October and indicated that they were no longer going to run the establishment and were putting it on the market. One of the conditions of sale was that it was to remain as a nursing home to provide care for the elderly in north Clare. The health board at the time refused to take on the responsibility of purchasing the property. It was indicated that if a local committee got together, it would get support from the health board and the Department.
All that was required both by the Department and the health board has now been complied with and it is a matter for the Minister to make the decision to provide the funding for two elements – the purchase and refurbishment of the property. During the course of the past couple of months the local committee has met all the various agencies involved – the fire authority, Clare County Council and the health board. It has also ascertained the regulations required in relation to the reopening. There is also a need for refurbishment. There are two elements to the proposal put before the Minister. I ask him to please go ahead and provide the funding immediately.
There is a problem locally. I hate to say it but the reality is that there is a certain amount of internal party politics and cross-party politics going on. That is unfortunate and I raise it this evening because it is time to quit the nonsense and get on with providing the beds that are so badly needed. The health board has acknowledged that there is validated research which justifies the need for them. There is a waiting list in County Clare for beds for the elderly. Most importantly, a number of patients were relocated far from their home territory to different areas across county Clare and even County Galway. They have been greatly distressed by this. Unfortunately many of them have since died. Some would say that the hassle and disturbance involved were contributory factors.
I have the fullest respect for the top class quality of the Minister of State, Deputy Hanafin, who I know is only present to read a statement from the Minister. It is unfortunate that the Minister for Health and Children who has responsibility for this matter has not come to the House this evening. The Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, has dealt with it and in fairness to him went as far as he could with it. There is a responsibility on the Minister to produce the goods and quit playing politics with the elderly of north Clare.