Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

By HIQA, and the HSE has now come in and is the current provider of care. HIQA did commend Theresa Winter and all her staff for providing first-rate care for the residents there. All the staff in that nursing home are directly employed by the HSE now. The families have received letters. I have a copy of one here which says that it was necessary to make alternative arrangements for the residents who have been there. One has been there for more than 20 years. Think of the disruption. I attended a meeting yesterday with families and the staff there. There are 51 staff in that nursing home. It was quite emotional at times and the uncertainty they are facing is very distressing. Of course, regulation by HIQA is necessary and must be enforced but the HSE has accepted that Ocean View has been a very happy home for all these residents. I am asking the Government, through the Minister of State, to end the uncertainty for families and to pause these transfers and do everything possible to, as the INMO said, reverse the privatisation of long-term care. This is an opportunity to provide long-term care in the west Kerry area, not only for the 25 residents there but also the 34 who were there until the beginning of this year, for example. It is an ideal opportunity to expand services. I will be meeting the HSE in the morning to try to make that happen and to provide the extra care in that community.

That leads me in to my next point because if Ocean View is closed it will put extra pressure on the beds in University Hospital Kerry and beds in other nursing homes around the county. What is happening with the supposed lifting of the recruitment embargo? It clearly has not been lifted and there are problems. Recruiters in University Hospital Kerry are being asked to identify five priority posts. They cannot recruit any support staff, ward clerks or porters. Occupational therapists are working at 37% of capacity, physios at 50% and it is no wonder some of them are being tempted by private practice or by going to Australia. The hospital still has to work off the staffing levels of last December. It cannot expand and is stuck in a rut.

On the CAMHS issue, the Minister of State is aware of the over-medication, the mistreatment of patients, the Maskey report and all of that. Still, where families have received apologies, the redress scheme has not been expanded to provide those families with money so that they can take the case. The expense is being piled upon the injustice they have already suffered. I am asking the Minister of State to address that as soon as possible because it is totally unfair for those families. They have come forward and have been brave but they need to seek the redress as soon as possible.

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