Mental Health Services
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-09
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Sean Fleming (FF), Laois

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I understand and appreciate what she is saying, but, obviously, I have a number of questions. As already stated, the Minister of State was involved in an issue relating to Erkina House a number of years ago and was very positive and helpful on that occasion.
The Minister of State indicated that a significant level of investment would be required to develop Erkina House in order to achieve the additional regulatory standards required. We all agree on that. Everybody in Ireland agrees. Everybody in Rathdowney agrees. The reason that is required is because the place was starved of investment in recent years. Those responsible deliberately made sure that nothing was done in an organised manner when there were up to 12 residents on the premises. They chose to close it by stealth. That is the word I would use. If the facility has been starved of investment, it will not meet the new requirements necessary for the health and safety and the mental health of the people there.
We have a great asset in Rathdowney. I have been told that the Minister of State has been looking at getting a new health centre in a different location. Very recently, I have had it in writing from the HSE that the Minister of State will not proceed on that basis because it is too expensive and that she will look at the property owned by the HSE in the town. I ask that there be an extension to the existing health centre at its current location or that it be combined with Erkina House in order that, like many other HSE buildings, it will have a dual use. I ask for that to be considered, if appropriate.
We are short of respite places. This facility could be suitable in that regard. There are two nursing homes that have been in the national media and before the courts in recent months. As a result of that, the HSE is currently not using them. People looking for respite have to travel a very long distance outside the county to get that. People should be able to get respite within their own county. We have the property in Rathdowney. Of course it needs investment, but it could be a multi-use facility. I ask the HSE not to turn its back on Rathdowney, as it seems to be doing in the context of both Erkina House and the health centre.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:26+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-09