I welcome the opportunity to address the Houses on the issues raised by the Deputies tabling the motion. I want to acknowledge the contributions from all Deputies across the House this evening. My only focus and motivation is to ensure that our older population has access to safe, high-quality and regulated long-term residential care services in a timely manner. In order to avail of this care, the majority of people access this support through the nursing home support scheme known as fair deal. Fair deal was design…

There was €41 million in mine.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. His advocacy is constant in this area. It is not the first time we have spoken about dementia-specific supports in the Macroom area. It is a key priority for the Government to allow more people to engage in services that allow them to remain independent and live in their own homes with dignity and independence for as long as possible. As the Deputy is aware, the HSE has operational responsibility for planning, managing and delivering health and personal social services. A …

I thank the Deputy for his articulation of how important this service would be. It is fantastic that there is a Wednesday service. However, I do not believe the service is in the most appropriate setting at present. Especially for people with dementia, it is important they have the stability of a centre that can provide supports for them and to which they can return every week. A lot of people need more than one-day support. It is great to have one day in place. It is a start. We know that service is there. Day sup…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter again and for his constant advocacy for the residents of Owenacurra and the six people who still live in Owenacurra. It is their home from home. I thank him for always being so respectful when he speaks about this. The independent regulator, the Mental Health Commission, in inspection reports found that the premises at Owenacurra was not up to the required standard. Following advice from construction experts and the fire officer, the HSE took the difficult but necessary de…

I understand the Deputy's frustration but he must think back to two years ago when I was informed by the fire office in County Cork that the building was not fit for purpose and was a danger to the residents. At that time, two or three reports were commissioned. We do not have that type of reduction in beds referred to by the Deputy. It is really good news that we are going to have this new ten-bed unit there. The current outline plan is very ambitious with a goal of commencing building on quarter one of 2024 - so …

The Mental Health Commission, as an independent statutory body, had a role to play here.

Its role was to be involved. It was kept updated on every occasion when one of the residents was moved. We must get to the stage where the last six residents will get their forever home. It will be located within Midleton where a new ten-bed unit will be built which will be very important. I know for a fact that in some instances residents were moved from Owenacurra and now live in nursing home care. Their families are happier because they do not have the stigma-----

-----about being in a mental health facility. I want to ensure that this transition is smooth for the six residents who remain there. I thank the Deputy again for his interest in this matter.

I thank Deputy O'Dowd for his question. Obviously, my first thoughts are with the family of "Emily" and with Emily herself, who is since deceased. I think of the upset and devastation of the families involved in this absolutely awful trauma and the circulation of the report this week is even more traumatic for them. I am very conscious of all of the issues that have been identified in these reviews which are causing huge distress. There are HSE adult safeguarding policies in place based on zero tolerance and there …

In the three years that I have been coming into the Dáil as Minister of State with responsibility for older people, this is one of the most difficult days for me, to come in to discuss the rape of an elderly lady in long-term residential care, her home from home. I thank Deputy O'Dowd for raising this matter and for his constant advocacy for older people in long-term residential care, which I really appreciate. I am really upset and devastated that "Emily" was failed in this way. She and her family made the difficu…

No, I am fine. I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department is engaging closely with the HSE to ensure that this is undertaken in a timely and comprehensive manner. There is already a strong framework of standards, policies and procedures in place across the health sector for the safeguarding of adults who may be at risk of abuse, harm and exploitation. In addition, the current HSE adult safeguarding policy addresses every form of abuse, including sexual abuse. The HSE's adult safeguarding policy includes a…

Adult safeguarding is an important matter for all of society and all agencies and Departments. On Tuesday night, I read the full report into what transpired in that nursing home. I would not ask any of my colleagues to sit at 11 o'clock at night and read a report like that. It was very distressing. I wish to be clear that relevant legislation is in place and applicable across all sectors. There are structures and processes in place to protect against abuse and ensure prompt action in the health and social care sect…

So do I.

He is back now.

I thank Deputy Grealish and the other members of the Regional Group for the opportunity to discuss home care. When I was informed last Thursday or Friday morning that there would be a Private Members' motion on home care, I was absolutely delighted because we do not often get two hours to discuss what is a really important feature for so many older people living in the country. I thank the Deputies for tabling the motion and for the work they have done. I read over the weekend what the Deputies have in their motion…

It is a pure stunt.

As the Deputy knows, we are in the cycle now where we are putting our focus on budget 2024. Many meetings will be held between all the various Ministers. I speak today on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, who has special responsibility for disabilities. She has done Trojan work over the last three years and has significantly increased the budget in this regard. Turning to the Deputy's question, a €500 lump sum payment to people receiving disability allowance, the blind pension or the invalidity…

The Deputy has raised the situation in Connemara several times. I sought an update on it this morning. As the Deputy knows, in my last contribution on this I said that the HSE facilitates the opening of the nursing home. It was in a staffing position to open it one day a week over the past six weeks. Unfortunately, the demand for a service has not been there. The HSE is advertising on local media and in a newspaper to let people know the facility has opened. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as I receive an updat…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. My adviser was present at the briefing yesterday. I was not able to attend due to other meetings outside. This year, the budget for fair deal is €1.5 billion. That is more than my mental health budget. It is more than the amount of money that is provided for the whole South/South West Hospital Group. It is one-twentieth of the entire health budget to support 22,500 people. I have to make sure that the budget lasts from 1 January until 31 December. Any nursing hom…