I thank the Deputy for his question. I cannot speak to the individual case he mentioned, but if he passes the details to me, we can examine them.

As I stand here today, 54,000 people are receiving home care. Last year, 75,000 people in total received home care. It supported them to be able to live well at home, which is important. I take on board the Deputy’s point about the public health nurse and the medical card. People not having medical cards is an issue that we encounter at times. Working with the medical card unit, though, many are able to avail of medical cards because of their medical conditions. If the Deputy wishes to send me the details, I will e…

I thank the Deputy for the question. Year-on-year funding for mental health services increased by €74 million from €1.221 billion announced in budget 2023 to almost €1.3 billion in 2024, with a strong focus on investing in youth mental health. Improving access to mental health services remains a commitment for me and my Department. To this end, funding for mental health has increased by 25% during the lifetime of the Government. As the Deputy will be aware, we have a new HSE office for youth mental health which wil…

We have bucked the trend in recruitment when it comes to mental health services. In 2021, a total of 659 people were working in CAMHS, whereas at the moment, there are 820. It is an area in which we have done well to recruit where posts have been available. By the end of next year, 900 whole-time equivalents will be working across the 75 CAMHS teams. Notwithstanding that, there are difficulties, but I am delighted to say the waiting list fell to 3,900 during the course of the summer. The latest figures are for the …

It is important to put some balance on the discussion. In 2020 and 2021, there were 33% more referrals to CAMHS. I have to build confidence in CAMHS and, as the Deputy conceded, a great deal of really good work is going on. Approximately 21% more children were seen during that period and that was at a very distressing time during Covid. Last year alone, CAMHS teams allocated 225,000 appointments to people under 18 throughout the country. A huge amount of very good work is going on. A new mental health office is bei…

On foot of a conversation we had in the House last year about an audit, I requested one. In 2022, the HSE carried out an audit on publicly-funded bed capacity across all nine community healthcare organisations, CHOs. We have 128 HSE public residential care centres for older people, many of which are classed as community hospitals. Subsequently, the HSE completed an in-depth bed reconciliation exercise that validated its publicly-managed residential bed stock. The purpose of this exercise was to reconcile variances …

I, as a Minister of State, have been on the record, working with the Minister for Health, saying that I do not want to see any more public capacity close at any level. Upcoming projects in Galway include a new 60-bed unit in Merlin Park, an increase in capacity on the 25 already there, and a 40-bed unit in St. Anne's in Clifden. It was announced previously but progress is being made. The Deputy will know that recently the Helen and Joe O'Toole community nursing unit in Tuam was opened with 50 beds. It is a fantasti…

I have been deeply distressed and worried and have intervened and worked with HIQA, the Department and the HSE on Aperee nursing homes. Some 15 companies own 10,700 beds in the private sector. That is the reality of the situation with which we are dealing. On 6 September, I think, HIQA published 50 reports; 17 were compliant and 33 had non-compliance. I read each and every one. Six Aperee Living homes were listed. There were very deep concerns. HIQA have mine and the Minister's full support to go into these homes a…

I thank the Deputy for her question. I heard the report myself on "Morning Ireland". I will have to revert to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and the Department to get a written response for her.

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, was in here this morning with me at 9 a.m. answering questions on health for 90 minutes. Deputy Wynne put the question of University Hospital Limerick and the issues there to him. There is an acceptance and acknowledgement that there are a lot of issues with capacity but work on the new €90 million project, consisting of a 96-bed inpatient block and renal dialysis unit commenced in October 2022. The construction phase will take at least two…

I thank the Deputy for the question. We all know the importance of having GPs, especially in rural practice; we understand that. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, spoke this morning about the plans they have put in place. For every two GPs who retire now, between three and six are entering into training. It will take a couple of years for that to work through. The Deputy may wish to send me an email on the specifics of the Kilrush GP practice. She said that the HSE has put in a locum and I am sure every avenue has bee…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following: "recognises and notes: — the invaluable work carried out by Home Care Support Assistants; — that the Home Support Service is a core service for older people and is highly valued by service users; — improving access to home support is a priority for the Government, with €723 million allocated in Budget 2023, up €228 million since 2021; — delivery of home support hours in communities is increasing, in line with enhanced inv…

I am glad that workforce is a focus of today's motion. The Government is committed to improving recruitment and retention. In March 2022, I established the strategic workforce advisory group on home carers and nursing home healthcare assistants. It set out to examine and, most importantly, propose solutions. The group was chaired by the Department of Health and comprised representatives from seven Departments, the HSE, HIQA and SOLAS. The report of the advisory group was published on 15 October. It presented 16 rec…

It is coming.

There is.

I thank the Deputy for his constant advocacy for older people and especially appropriate nursing home care. There has been ongoing regulatory engagement between HIQA and Aperee, including provider meetings and cautionary and warning meetings. Unfortunately, two nursing homes have closed to date. One is in Ballygunner in Waterford and the other near Kinsale in Cork. As of Friday week last, the HSE has taken over the running of Aperee Living in Callan, County Kilkenny, and it will continue to run it as a going concer…

We are used to hearing the Deputy advocating very strongly for people in Carlow but these issues happen all over the country as well. I do not have the specific details on St. Dympna's Hospital and the primary care centre for the dental clinic but at the same time, we must have standards and refurbishment and best practice are very important too. I will speak to the Deputy after this and try to get some of the details from her and get a comprehensive answer to her.

We cannot hear Deputy Doherty.

I thank Deputy Whitmore for her question. I met that same group yesterday and we had a really good collaboration. I also met with AsIAm representatives yesterday in relation to the challenges for children with a dual diagnosis of mental ill health and autism, which is becoming more prevalent. It is important to note that over the last couple of years there has been a 33% increase in referrals into CAMHS and the teams have dealt with 21% more young people. Last year alone, 225,000 appointments were issued through CA…

The Ford centre was mentioned to me the very first time yesterday evening by one of the Deputy's colleagues while I was dining. I am glad the Deputy has raised the issue today. There has been no correspondence with the Department. I am not sure whether there was correspondence with community healthcare organisation, CHO, 5 but I am prepared to look into it. As I said, there has been no direct correspondence with me about the Ford centre.