Before we move on, I will break with the normal rules of the House and ask Members to join me in giving a warm céad míle fáilte to an incredible young man, Austin Appelbee, aged 13. Members may have heard Austin's story from February of this year, when he undertook an incredible act of bravery in Western Australia in order to save the lives of his mother Joanne, his brother Beau and his sister Grace. Austin undertook a four-hour, 4 km swim, followed by a 2 km run, to contact emergency services, which ultimately led to everyone being rescued by the emergency services. What an incredible feat. We are delighted to have Austin and his family in the Visitors Gallery today as the guests of Deputy David Maxwell. They are very welcome. I imagine Austin will be doing triathlons soon. It is a huge credit to him and his family. Well done. It is great to have them here.

I welcome Austin and his family to the House. I followed Austin’s heroics out at sea, from where he swam back in. A triathlon was mentioned by the Acting Chair. Austin was very brave. The Irishness came out through him. He was never going to give up, and he did not give in. We acknowledge that today. I hope the Cathaoirleach and the State in some way acknowledge Austin's bravery. I also welcome Deputy David Maxwell, who is with the family. Well done, Austin.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I raise this matter to seek a clear and up-to-date position on the long-awaited opening of the new 130-bed community nursing unit in Killarney, County Kerry. This will mean real security for elderly people in Killarney and the Kerry area. It is a state-of-the-art facility designed to replace the St. Columbanus home and Killarney Community Hospital. It represents one of the most significant investments in services for older people in the region. I congratulate the Minister of State on the work he has put into this since I made contact with him in the past couple of months. He has shown a never-ending desire to get this to fruition.

Construction has been completed, the building has been handed over and the community has been repeatedly assured that the opening is, as we say, around the corner. Yet, despite these assurances, residents, families and staff still do not have a definite timeline for when the first patients will be transferred. They are waiting anxiously for what will be the jewel in the crown of services for older people in Kerry.

I am asking for three points of clarification today. First, can the Minister of State provide the latest update on the opening date of the unit? When is HIQA expected to complete its assessment? Can the Minister of State confirm that HIQA registration is the final step before opening? Second, can he confirm whether there are any outstanding staffing issues? While the HSE has stated that workforce planning is under way, there are concerns locally in the county about recruitment pauses and the impact this may have on opening the unit on a phased basis. We need clarity on whether staffing is fully in place. Will the Minister of State clarify what is meant by the opening of the unit on a phased basis? Third, is the facility now fully furnished, equipped and clinically ready for occupation? Are all of the necessary beds, medical equipment, assistive technologies and dementia-specific supports installed, tested and operational?

Given his role as Minister of State with responsibility for older persons, I ask Deputy O'Donnell to outline what are the future plans for the St. Columbanus home and Killarney Community Hospital once the new Killarney community nursing unit opens.

These buildings are significant public assets. A minor injuries unit is planned for one section of the St. Columbanus property. It will cater for people with less serious injuries - fractures, strains, burns, etc. - rather than those people being obliged to travel to UHK and clog up the accident and emergency department.

What options are being considered for the remainder of these properties? They are public and could be valuably used going forward in the context of the Minister of State's directorate. This project has been years in the making. The people of Killarney and Kerry and the staff and the residents who will call this unit their new home deserve certainty about the opening.

If the Acting Chairperson will give me a moment, I wish to acknowledge the Appelbees. It is quite a coincidence. I met them in the corridor a couple of minutes ago. I assume that is Austin's grandmother. I want to acknowledge her. Mothers are very important. Austin is living in Perth, and his mother is from Monaghan. It is a great tribute. I said to Austin's mum that she must be proud of him; she said she is very proud. At some stage, we may come calling for Austin to represent Ireland. He will have a big choice to make at some point. It is a happy day. I congratulate Austin, his mum and everyone, and I acknowledge my colleague Deputy Maxwell, who the family are here as guests of. The Deputy is very enthusiastic about everything Austin has done.

I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this important matter. Long-term residential care is a crucial part of the overall continuum of care. Across the country, our HSE community nursing units, CNUs, and community hospitals play a vital role in the provision of long-term care and other services. This Government is committed to continued investment in healthcare infrastructure which supports the highest quality care for our older population. This investment includes the CNU capital programme, which was launched to ensure that up to 90 of our public CNUs and community hospitals would be refurbished or replaced to ensure the best possible environments for our older people.

The public-private partnership, PPP, aspect of the CNU programme continues to progress and will deliver 528 beds in seven facilities across the country. The new CNU in Killarney is part of the PPP project and will have a complement of 130 beds, comprising 50 long-stay beds, 30 dementia-specific beds and 50 short-stay beds. The CNU will provide a high-quality living environment which will be in line with all regulatory requirements.

The new facility was handed over to the HSE by the contractor in December 2025. HSE South West has advised me that preparations for Killarney CNU to welcome residents are at an advanced stage. The application for the registration of Killarney CNU has been submitted to HIQA. An opening date for the CNU will be finalised once HIQA registration has been achieved. This will allow for the opening over the coming weeks.

Once HIQA registration is secured, the new unit will open on a phased basis, with a planned transfer of residents from St. Columbanus and the district hospital to the new building. HSE South West has assured me that there is ongoing engagement with residents and their families ahead of the transfer. Room allocation has already been agreed with the residents. Open evenings for residents and their families to see the new unit before transfer are being finalised. In simple terms, the phased basis will involve the residents and staff moving into the CNU first. This will be followed by the additional 29 beds that are being provided in the centre. Staff will be recruited, which is ongoing in that space.

As Minister of State, I am directly involved with the Department and the HSE in getting Killarney CNU open as quickly as possible. All current staff will transfer to the new facility, and I have been advised that the recruitment campaigns for the additional staff required are well under way to allow for the opening of the additional beds in Killarney CNU. There are no issues with recruitment of additional staff. That continues as normal. It is important people be given that reassurance. Engagement with union representatives at a local level is also ongoing. I particularly thank staff representative bodies for their continued engagement. There is intensive engagement taking place at the moment. HSE South West will continue to engage with residents, their families, staff and the wider community on all updates relating to the opening of the new Killarney CNU.

I want to advise the Senator that the HSE has established a site review committee to carry out a structured assessment of current and future healthcare accommodation needs in Killarney, including the future use of the district hospital and St. Columbanus. The HSE is planning to set up an injury unit in the vacated St. Columbanus building to support the existing emergency department in UHK in Tralee. A design team for the injury unit has been appointed, and the project will now move into the necessary regulatory, technical and planning approval stages to facilitate progression to construction. Alongside the development of the injury unit, the future use of the remaining accommodation within St. Columbanus hospital will be considered by the review committee.

The opening of the new CNU in Killarney is an absolute priority for me, the Department of Health and the HSE. This state-of-the-art CNU will enhance the lives of older people in Killarney and surrounding areas for many years to come by providing health and social care services of the highest quality. I look forward to seeing it fully operational. I am advised by the HSE that it has already had the existing residents over to the new CNU in terms of their picking out the rooms they would like to occupy there.

In summary, the matter is currently with HIQA. Once approval from HIQA comes through, the patients in St. Columbanus Community Hospital and Killarney Community Hospital will transfer to the new facility. The HSE will continue with the recruitment of staff in order to have a full complement to cover the additional 29 beds.

It is great when to hear such great and welcome news for the people of Kerry. This will be a 130-bed unit that will serve not just Kerry but also neighbouring areas across the county border. I was recently contacted by elderly people who are recuperating following hospital visits or whatever and who do not have community hospitals in their areas. They have been going to Killarney as a result.

This is great news. I am delighted that all stakeholders are being engaged with. There is an end line in sight. I ask that the Minister of State to double down over the next couple of weeks in order to get approval from HIQA, get the patients transferred and ensure that the staff happy. Once the staff are happy, the residents, their families and the whole of County Kerry will be happy. I want to put on the record my thanks to the Minister of State for his work on this.

Once again, I thank Senator Kennelly for raising this very important matter of the opening of the new CNU in Killarney. As I stated, the matter is currently with HIQA for registration. Once that comes through, the HSE will be able to open the new unit and transfer the existing 101 residents from St. Columbanus and the district hospital in Killarney to it. Recruitment of the additional staff continues. I want to see the full complement of the 29 additional beds opened as quickly as possible.

In terms of the question that the Senator raised about the facility, it is fully furnished. It has been fully equipped and is clearly ready for occupation. That would normally fall to be done in the normal way under the terms of the HIQA registration process, which is reassuring. The main target for me is that the HIQA registration comes through. That is an independent process, but everyone is working to ensure that it happens as quickly as possible. The application is in. Once the HIQA registration comes through, the existing staff and the 101 residents will move to their new home. It is their new home.

Furthermore, the recruitment of additional staff continues. I want to see the 29 additional beds opened as quickly as possible. While a minor injuries unit is going into the St. Columbanus property, a review group has been set up by HSE South West to specifically look at the additional capacity there and at the district hospital in Killarney to find a proper use for them. Work is ongoing in that regard. I want to see that concluded as quickly as possible as well.

I thank the Minister of State.