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Healthcare Infrastructure Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 October 2019

Thursday, 10 October 2019

Ceisteanna (6)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

6. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Health the status of a day care centre for Monasterevin, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41174/19]

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Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)

The 5,000 people of Monasterevin are playing a waiting game in seeking a new secondary school at St. Paul’s, the amalgamation of two primary schools and an announcement on the blueway which we hope will be made next month. In particular, I refer the Minister to the waiting game on the day care centre which closed five years ago in 2014. Thankfully, one of the local football clubs stepped into the breach, meaning that temporary facilities were provided. It is simply not good enough that nothing has been done. It is not just those who avail of the day care centre who have been affected. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland had a place in the Monasterevin day centre that covers all of south Kildare. It subsequently had to move to three locations.

The HSE recently published its capital plan for the period 2019 to 2021, outlining projects to be progressed which include the day care centre in Monasterevin, County Kildare. This will be welcome news for people there who, rightly, will want to know what happens next.

The HSE is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructural projects. It has advised me that a design team is progressing stage 1 of the upgrade of the building on Drogheda Street. This will require an application for planning permission to be lodged. There is funding to deliver the project which will be delivered. Obviously, the process is for the design team to progress stage 1 and submit a planning application. I will be happy to keep in touch with the Deputy on this matter as it progresses. It is an important issue for the people of Monasterevin. Access to the original building had to be restricted as far back as 2014 owing to health and safety issues. I thank the local GAA club which stepped into the breach, pending completion of the capital works, in providing temporary facilities. The project is listed in the capital plan and will be funded. It is vital that an application for planning permission be submitted. I am sure the design team is working on the application for planning permission for the upgrade of the day care centre. I will be happy to keep in touch with the Deputy as the HSE advises me as it progresses.

I thank the Minister for confirming that the day care centre project is included in the capital plan. That is welcome news. I have had eight different replies to parliamentary questions on this matter which I have put in the past 12 months.

I have had several in the years since I was elected in 2016. One of the replies I received 18 months ago from the HSE stated that planning permission would be sought by the end of 2018. I am concerned that, 12 months later, the planning permission application has still not been made.

The latest reply I received from the HSE, dated 10 October, states:

The design team for the upgrade of the day care centre building on Drogheda Street, Monasterevin, County Kildare, are now progressing Stage (i) to completion. The programme is subject to the grant of planning permission for the project and the availability of capital funding.

Reference to "the availability of capital funding" is something I noted in every one of the replies. The Minister said that project will be in the capital programme and I accept what that but I am concerned that today's reply states that it is subject to the availability of capital funding.

I thank the Deputy for the follow-up question. I can tell this is an issue she has been pursuing back and forth with the HSE for quite some time. I will certainly engage with the HSE on the timeline for the submission of the planning application and revert directly to her in that regard.

The way the capital planning process works, as she will be aware, is that we need to get through a number of stages and the standard reference to it being subject to the availability of capital is a reference to the fact that this project has yet to receive planning permission. The project is included in the capital plan. That is a commitment from us to deliver the capital to fund that project but, before we get to that point, the project needs to receive planning permission.

The effort must be on getting a planning application submitted as a matter of urgency. Subject to planning permission being granted, I am more than happy to meet the Kildare Deputies to update them on timelines for the delivery.

I accept the Minister's bona fides in this. I also appreciate that his is willing to expedite this and to meet further on this.

I am still concerned, however, that planning permission and availability are two clearly distinct elements within the reply that I received today. I still do not understand why the planning permission application, 12 months later, has not been submitted.

Having said that, the news is positive. It is important for the people of Monasterevin who use this service because the budget reflected an agreement that there would be ten new support staff for Alzheimer's services. The Kildare Alzheimer's services use this and are now in their second temporary building. They have to leave at Christmas and they are at the end of their tether in terms of trying to find another place. While providing supports, we must have places where people can go to. I look forward to a resolution on this. I thank the Minister.

I am pleased the Deputy referenced the work of the Alzheimer Society. This is an area of interest she has pursued during her time in the House. I am pleased that in budget 2020 we were able to agree funding, which has been welcomed by the Alzheimer Society, for the appointment of ten additional dementia advisers throughout the country. This means we will be able to ensure that there is a dementia adviser in every county. I want to acknowledge on the record Deputy Butler, Senator Kevin Humphreys and Colette Kelleher and, I am sure, many others who have been working on this issue on a cross-party basis. I hope that will come as welcome news to the Alzheimer's services in Deputy O'Loughlin's county and, indeed, across the country.

I detect and understand her frustration in respect of when the planning application will be submitted. I will further engage with the HSE on that and revert to Kildare Deputies. My understanding is that the centre will be situated in the existing two-storey house that is listed as a protected structure. I can only presume that sometimes it takes a little longer to design planning applications for such structures. The plan is that this house will be renovated and refurbished to ensure that it is fit for purpose. I assure the people of Monasterevin that we will make progress on this, that it is included in the capital plan and that the next phase is planning permission approval.

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