Taoiseach says Roscrea must have long stay beds

Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave a commitment in the Dáil on Tuesday that the development of a new community nursing home on the grounds of Nenagh Hospital will not impact on similar services provided by the Dean Maxwell Home in Roscrea.

Mr Martin, who was responding to Deputy Michael Lowry on fears in Roscrea that the Dean Maxwell would be closed when the new Nenagh facility was opened stated: “The Dean Maxwell Community Home will continue to play its role in Roscrea.”
Mr Martin agreed with Mr Lowry that the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnolly, should meet with all vested interests to ensure that long stay bed care continue to be a priority in Roscrea.
The Taoiseach stated that the Government is committed to continuing the provision of services and meeting care needs for the elderly in Roscrea.
He said the existing home would continue to be registered with the Health Information and Quality Athority (HIQA) for the next three years.
Speaking at Leaders’ Questions, Deputy Lowry told the Taoiseach Micheál Martin that the future of the home was a key concern for people in Roscrea and surrounding areas.

“This vital 27-bed elderly care residential home and day-care facility is dying a slow death,” said the Independent TD.
He added: “This centre is cherished by the people of Roscrea. The management and staff provide an excellent service for the people of the local community. The level and quality of care is acknowledged and appreciated by the people of Roscrea. It is an integral part of the fabric of the local community. The facility is almost 50 years old and no longer meets HIQA standards and is therefore under the threat of closure in 2021.”
Deputy Lowry said Roscrea was a community orientated town and its citizens had fought passionately to save the home to allow elderly members of the community to continue living in their own locality.
“The current Capital Spending Plan, introduced in 2016 by the then Labour Minister, did a serious injustice by the omission of Dean Maxwell. That five-year service plan, endorsed by the HSE, effectively consigns Dean Maxwell to lose its long-stay beds,” Deputy Lowry told the Dáil.
He added: “The Dean Maxwell Home and the people of Roscrea should not be deprived of long-stay beds.
“Traditionally North Tipperary has had a distribution of long-stay beds between Thurles, Nenagh and Roscrea. We had a new unit built in Thurles. A new unit for St Conlon’s, Nenagh, is being progressed. Dean Maxwell should not be left behind.”
Deputy Lowry asked the Taoiseach to personally ensure that the current ‘flawed’ HSE Service Plan was reviewed so that a new Dean Maxwell was designed and built.
He said the current home was being downgraded step by step and was slowly moving towards “closure by stealth”.
With minimal maintenance over the past five years, the HSE knew full well that HIQA would intervene and deem it unfit for purpose.
“The HSE are a casual bystander awaiting the inevitability of closure,” said Deputy Lowry. “It has done absolutely nothing to offer an alternative.
“It was abundantly clear that it was HSE policy to transfer the long-stay beds from Roscrea to Nenagh.”
Mr Lowry added: “The blinkered attitude of the Estate Management Section of the HSE towards Roscrea was confirmed by their dismissive response to a proposal to provide alternative accommodation in Roscrea. In a project that required no HSE capital funding, the developer of the Primary Care Centre in Roscrea agreed to adapt plans to incorporate a purpose built 40-bed nursing home unit on the same site. This would operate on a lease back agreement to be managed and run by the HSE. With unprofessional haste or without due consideration, the HSE rejected the proposal and they are unwilling and unable to provide a credible reason for their decision.”