Mattie McGrath demands answers over Cashel 60‑bed community hospital
Mattie McGrath demanded answers and reassurance about plans for a 60‑bed community nursing unit at St Patrick's Hospital in Cashel, accusing officials of misleading the community about site suitability. He warned the community hospital must not be removed or downsized and said locals and staff remain committed to ensuring the project proceeds.
Call for clarity on St Patrick's Hospital
McGrath praised St Patrick's staff and chaplains and said the community expected a 60‑bed community hospital to be delivered. He described recent claims that the site was too small as a "porky" and said those representations contradicted what had been told at meetings and briefings.
Allegations about site size and parking
He told the minister there were 350 staff and sufficient parking at the existing site and challenged claims that a Greenfield site was more suitable. He said there had been no prior problems with reports or internet connectivity and criticised officials for not publishing costings.
Concerns about loss of local services
McGrath accused the minister of previously closing a local hospital that had hospice beds and warned Cashel must not again lose local services. He expressed concern about competition for beds with nearby hospitals and emphasised community commitment to retaining the CNU.
HSE update and site review
A government representative responded that the HSE is committed to a new 60‑bed community nursing unit and that a 2019 design had shown a detailed layout at the rear of the St Patrick's site. The reply noted site constraints, that residents were moved to Our Lady's Hospital campus in June 2020 during COVID‑19, and that parts of St Patrick's had been refurbished for children's therapy services. The HSE said a HSE‑owned site in Cashel is being reviewed by HSE Estates and that the review should conclude in the coming weeks.
Assurances and next steps
The ministerial response stated the new CNU for Cashel is included in the forthcoming capital plan (Appendix 2) to proceed to detailed design and insisted there is no intention not to build a HSE community nursing unit in Cashel. Officials said a final site decision has not been made and urged that the project not be delayed by political dispute, while promising progress as soon as a suitable site is determined.
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Minister, we want answers about St Patrick's in capital, we want reassurance, we want something definite, St Patrick's Hospital, a wonderful, wonderful hospital, my late mum gave some time there, I couldn't say enough about the staff and the people all over, and the chaplains and the church, there was often a master when we had a church there, we were expecting this 60-bed community hospital to be delivered, that's what we were told all the way along at meetings and briefings and everything else, until a bombshell two or three weeks ago, that now the site was too small, that simply is not true, I can't use the word lie, here, but it's a porky of the highest order, as Deputy Brown said, there were 350 staff with the staff, many of them driving and there were plenty of room for parking, so pick some other issue besides that, there's some footage going on here, you did it at the Catech and Shure Minister, you were personally closed St St, at the beautiful hospital in Catech and Shure, it was shocking to do that community hospital with three hospice beds, now I worry too, they've got plenty of hospice beds in Waterloo Regional Hospital, I worry now, we were told the other day that we're in competition now, we don't have any food in mind, for these community hospitals, so I'm watching this very carefully, and you dare not take this out of temporarily, because it's needed, the community hospital is needed, the staff are committed, everybody's committed to it, Catech lost too much back in the 80s, when they lost to Clonmel, the last time, so they're not going to lose this time, they're ready for you, and to think that this Greenfield site is suitable, it is not accessible, it's easy to be adapted, there was no problem before with internet reports, no problem with anything else, you haven't even done costings, what you're overseeing in the HSE with Minister Robert and Minister Donnelly is nothing short of outrageous, that the officials can do what they like, tell us what they want to tell us, any time they like, and different stories have been peddled in by politicians of your party, so it's just not acceptable, the people of Cashel deserve this, and are going to get this, thank you. I would like to thank Deputy Brown and Deputy McGrath for the opportunity to provide the House on an update on the new 60-bedded community nursing unit in Cashel, and I do hope that we're not going to make a political football out of a good news story. The HSE is committed to the development of a new community nursing unit for older persons in Cashel. In early 2016, a capital programme for older persons residential centres was developed in response to the introduction of HICWA's National Residential Care. To date, 43 of them have been delivered. You'll be well aware, deputies, both of you, that there's one under construction in Clonmel at the moment, right, and we are going to build one in Cashel. In 2019, the HSE engaged a design team, as you said, Deputy, to progress a new 60-bedded community nursing unit project on the site of St Patrick's Hospital, Cashel. There was a design completed in 2019 which was brought through Stage 1 design, which showed a detailed layout to the rear of the site. This accommodated the 60 beds. However, the site is very limited in size, with challenges regarding the amount of parking space and access to the building. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 interrupted works on this project. As a response to COVID-19 risks, upgrades works were carried out to make facilities located on the campus of the nearby Our Lady's Hospital Cashel suitable for long-stay residential use. Residents from St Patrick Hospital were moved onto Our Lady's Hospital campus in June 2020. HICWA registers all community nursing units for a three-year period. Six months prior to the registration expiring, a community nursing unit is obliged to submit an application to re-register the unit. Cashel Residential Older Persons Services are undertaking this process with HICWA in order to ensure re-registration for another three years from June 2023. That is to ensure continuity while the new CNU is being built. An assessment and rehabilitation unit and a day hospital for older persons services continues to operate at St Patrick's Hospital. Much of the vacated areas at St Patrick's Hospital have been refurbished to accommodate children's therapy services. In addition to this, it is planned to locate the enhanced community care at the rear of the site at St Patrick's Hospital, Cashel. Site options for the new 60-bed unit for Cashel are under consideration. A HSE-owned site within Cashel Town is currently being reviewed by HSE Estates for suitability for a new CNU. HSE Estates have advised that this site review should be completed in the coming weeks and we can discuss it again then. A final decision has not been formally made on sites as optimum solutions for the provisions of the services are still being appraised. But can I put both the deputies' concerns to bed? The capital plan is going to be launched in the next couple of weeks. I have seen the capital plan. The new CNU for Cashel is included on it on Appendix 2 to go to detailed design stage. It is there in black and white. There is no one not going to build a CNU, a community nursing unit run by the HSE in Cashel. But what the states are looking at at the moment is where might it be located. Now, deputies, I said this at the start that I hope this does not become a political football. Because the last thing I want to see is the new community nursing unit being held up in Cashel because you are arguing over the site. It is not up to politicians to determine where the nursing home will be built. The most important thing for me is the community nursing homes that will have 60 beds en suite in Cashel, which I know is needed, is built as soon as possible. The one in Clonmel as well as the crisis house will both be finished next year. We have a lot of CNUs currently being built. As I said, we have built 47 so far. Sorry, maybe 43 so far. Cashel is next on the list. Nobody is going to stop Cashel from being built. There will be a community nursing unit built in Cashel. Minister, you are the only one that has dropped the ball here, whether it is Ludo or Drafts or Poker you want to play, but the stakes are high for the people in Cashel. It is the HSE, as you have heard from Deputy Brown, are the people who are causing suffrage and causing people to have disbelief with the different answers they give. Is there no drained-up thinking in the HSE? None whatsoever. We can get those replies from parliamentary questions, one of the strongest mechanisms that we have here at our disposal here in this Dáil. We are holding you to account, Minister. We want this built in Cashel. You are the person that introduced only two weeks ago on the HSE states about an effort in sight. We are not playing football with any sights. We have the sight in St Patrick's. I told you my brother was in there. I was at many Christmas parties, many different masses, functions, visiting people there. They are fully functional and could fit 350 staff plus patients. This is a red herring to say they have in Parkinson's. The Minister. Thank you for the opportunity. The HSE is committed to the development of a new community nursing unit for Cashel. Provision has been made in the Capital Programme 2023 to progress a 60-bedded community nursing unit for Cashel. I cannot be clearer. A HSE-owned site within Cashelstown is currently being reviewed by the HSE for suitability. It is being reviewed. This review is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Then we will look at the review. Services are still being provided in St Patrick's Hospital Cashel, an assessment and rehabilitation unit, and a day hospital for older persons services continues to operate. It is planned to include a new interim enhanced community care at St Patrick's Hospital, which will be a very welcome addition for the provision of health care in Cashel. The HSE's intention is that a new CNU will be built in Cashel, like the one that is currently built in Clonmel, which is 50 beds on the suite. The one in Cashel will be 60 beds on the suite, and all current residents of Our Lady's campus will transfer to the new CNU when it is complete. A final decision has not been formally made on options, as site options are still being appraised, to identify an optimum service solution for service provision. However, the building of a new CNU, a community nursing unit, in Cashel is a service priority for capital plans. As I have said, it is on the capital plan, and funding will be provided and will be a focus throughout 2023. So I will ask Concurla if I could just state again, there is no suggestion that there will not be a community nursing unit built in Cashel. At the moment, excuse me, I am entitled to answer understanding orders. Thank you. Thank you to both of you. Thank you. Thank you.
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