I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this important matter. By way of overview, long-term residential care is a crucial part of the overall continuum of care throughout the country. Our HSE community nursing units and community hospitals play a vital role in the provision of long-term care and other services. I am also very conscious of the importance of strengthening the capacity and resilience of our health system through the delivery of health and social care infrastructure. This Government is committed to continued investment in healthcare infrastructure which supports the highest quality care for our older population. On the specific point raised by Deputy Kelly, this investment includes the community nursing unit capital programme, which was launched in 2016 to ensure that up to 90 of our public community nursing units and community hospitals would be refurbished or replaced to ensure the best quality for our older people. As part of this capital programme, older person services in the north Tipperary area are being enhanced by the opening of a new state-of-the-art 50-bed community nursing unit in Nenagh, replacing the St. Conlon’s community nursing unit, to which Deputy Kelly referred. A significant investment of €22 million was allocated to this project. The new Nenagh community nursing unit will have a complement of 50 beds, as Deputy Kelly has stated, providing long-stay care, respite care and palliative care services. The unit will provide a high-quality living environment, which will be in line with all regulatory requirements. As Deputy Kelly is aware, in order to alleviate the significant pressures at UHL, a decision was made to utilise the new Nenagh community nursing unit building, on an interim basis, as a step-down sub-acute and rehabilitation facility for UHL. As Deputy Kelly has said, it is run by a private provider with expertise in such services. The interim use of the unit in Nenagh has provided highly valuable support to the region pending the completion of the first of two 96-bed blocks for UHL, scheduled to be completed in mid-2025. It has always been the intention that this temporary arrangement would be reviewed within one year and that the unit in Nenagh would open for long-term residential care services 12 months after the contract commenced with the private provider. This is still the case. I have followed up on this and it is still the case. I wish to inform Deputy Kelly that HSE mid-west is working towards a HSE-led model of service delivery at Nenagh community nursing unit. This will include long-term residential care services, commencing in quarter three this year, for the current St. Conlon's residents. I also assure the Deputy that I am committed to working alongside the HSE to address all concerns in respect of residential care for older people in Nenagh and north Tipperary, now and into the future. I reiterate the particular point the Deputy raised, which is that the HSE is working towards moving the residents from St. Conlon's to the new community nursing facility in Nenagh within 12 months of the contract being signed with the private provider. That is still the case. Obviously, it arose because of the huge pressures in UHL and I appreciate what this means for the residents of St. Conlon's and their families. I will be working to ensure the residents of St. Conlon's are transferred to the new state-of-the-art facility in Nenagh within 12 months of the contact being signed with the private provider to provide the services for the alleviation of pressures on UHL with that 50-bed unit in the community nursing facility in Nenagh.
Sentiment score: 0.39
The intention is this summer and that continues to be the case.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I thank Deputy Kelly for raising that matter. He might provide me with the correspondence he has received.
Sentiment score: 0.19
I will repeat particular clarifications on a number of points. First, the decision to utilise the Nenagh community nursing home building on an interim basis as a step-down sub-acute and rehabilitative facility was taken to alleviate the significant pressures at UHL. It is about the pressures and that is a fact. I also reiterate the HSE is working towards a HSE-led model of delivery at Nenagh community nursing unit with long-term residential care services, commencing in quarter 3 this year, for the current St. Conlon's residents. The cohort that I want to have significantly transferred, obviously, is that cohort of people who currently are residents in St. Conlon's and they will move to the new facility in quarter 3 of this year. The current community nursing unit in St. Conlon's, Nenagh, continues to provide excellent care to its residents during the interim period. The new Nenagh community nursing unit will ultimately replace St. Conlon's community nursing unit. I also reiterate that older person services in the north Tipperary area ultimately will be enhanced by the opening of a new state-of-the-art 50 bed community nursing unit in Nenagh, following a significant intervention to help alleviate significant pressure on University Hospital Limerick. They are the facts as I understand them as of today. Ultimately, my concern, as a Minister of State, is to ensure those residents in St. Conlon's move across and assure their families that they will move across to the new facility in quarter 3 of this year.
Sentiment score: 0.21
On behalf of Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, I thank Deputy Kerrane for the opportunity to update the House on the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care in County Roscommon and the important emergency response role delivered by our National Ambulance Service. The National Ambulance Service serves the county of Roscommon out of three bases located in Roscommon, Boyle and Loughglinn, which all operate on a 24-7 basis. All three bases are staffed by a highly skilled workforce of pre-hospital emergency care practitioners, including paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians. In addition, the National Ambulance Service operates a fleet of modern emergency ambulances, intermediate care vehicles and rapid response vehicles from these bases. I acknowledge the engagement by the Deputy on the establishment of the national ambulance base in Loughglinn. Ambulance resources in the Roscommon region are deployed by the National Ambulance Service dynamically in line with international best practice. This means the National Ambulance Service prioritises resource allocation to the highest acuity calls that require an immediate emergency response, in direct response to patient needs. On the specific issue raised by Deputy Kerrane, I am informed that the National Ambulance Service currently operates two rosters at its Roscommon base. One is for the operation of a rapid response vehicle and the other for the emergency ambulances. The rapid response vehicle roster has four paramedic posts and, in February 2025, had two vacancies. I understand an offer has been made for one of these posts through the National Ambulance Service national transfer process and that options for the filling of the second post are being examined. The rapid response vehicle had been delivered in Roscommon through a combination of basic pay and overtime, but I understand that the rapid response vehicle is not currently rostered for daytime services on Thursday, which the Deputy alluded to. However, the National Ambulance Service operation of dynamic deployment means that Roscommon continues to be served by neighbouring National Ambulance Service bases for both emergency ambulance and rapid response vehicles. As well as front-line urgent and emergency care, the National Ambulance Service is also a vital partner in the development and expansion of a range of clinically appropriate alternative care pathways to improve patient flow and reduce pressure on emergency departments. I particularly welcome two alternative care pathway developments in Roscommon in recent years involving the implementation of medical assessment unit and local injuries unit patient pathways for 112 and 999 patients. This means patients who are deemed clinically appropriate and do not require treatment in a busy hospital ED can be better looked after in an alternative care setting such as a medical assessment unit or a local injuries unit. Patient demand for national ambulance services continues to rise, with nearly 430,000 urgent and emergency calls received last year, a year-on-year rise in volume of 8%. The further development and expansion of alternative care initiatives are vital, therefore, in transforming the delivery of urgent and emergency care, improving patient access to care and enhancing patient healthcare experiences and outcomes. I know the National Ambulance Service is committed to the continuing development of these alternative pathways. I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the staff of the National Ambulance Service and to the staff of all our ambulance services for their commitment and dedication to patient care, both in County Roscommon and throughout the country.
Sentiment score: 0.26
I note the points the Deputy raised in respect of Roscommon and the roster. There are currently two vacancies. I understand an offer has been made for one of the posts through the National Ambulance Service national transfer process and options for the filling of the second post are being examined. I have asked my Department to follow up on that issue with the NAS and to look at the particular issue of rostering for daytime services on a Thursday. I understand the needs of the people of Roscommon. The Deputy raised other issues, including the AP courses. My Department will follow up with the HSE on that matter as well. She also referred to the air ambulance service, which was supposed to be in place in January. We will also follow up on that point. However, with respect to the key element the Deputy raised - the removal of 24-7 advanced paramedic cover in Roscommon - she is effectively speaking about the roster for daytime services on Thursdays. I have been led to understand that an offer has been made for one of the two vacant posts through the NAS transfer process and that the options for filling the second post are being examined. We will be following up with the NAS on those particular two vacant posts in the context of providing a roster for the daytime services on Thursdays.
Sentiment score: 0.13