Mattie McGrath: Denounces Closure of St Bridget's Hospital

Tanaiste, I want to raise to you today the disgraceful and diabolical decision to close St Bridget's Hospital in Carrigan Shore just on a whim yesterday morning on the 27th of April I raised this with you and July 1st I raised it here on August 11th and September and October and November last Sunday evening at 7.20pm I got an email from Miss Barbara Murphy saying that they were looking at reopening it subject to you know the building being okay it was the first time there was any question mark about the building what kind is it deceitful you know I call it stronger if I was allowed but I don't think I am but it's untruths were given to us here Councillor Cairne Broker had working councillor in the town for years and his family before him came up here and met Minister Donnelly I think he's here Minister Donnelly he watched it earlier and promised them would be reopened I have commitments from Minister Harris in this house that would be reopened I have commitments from Minister Donnelly and so have the people had working local committee are there now working together trying to make sure this is reopened the local community of Carrigan Shore indeed South Kilkenny and East Waterford and South Tipperary fundraised hugely to put in three hospice beds there the staff in that were exceptional all the staff from the from the caterers to the nurses and the palliative care teams that came in that were nursed in those uh hospitals those hospice beds we only have two other hospice beds in South Tipperary in a wonderful facility in Clougheen uh 30 miles up the road where are the people that want to go to hell or to Connacht this is outrageous that a HSE could treat people like this at the Department of Health and the Department of Health oh yes they're having a meeting with us TDs this evening to tell us about it I mean we have we have we have replies in writing for them and we can't believe it what they tell us what kind of a shameful way to do this under the hospice of COVID first of all they needed it we accepted that there was no need ever I don't think any patient went in for COVID step down but huge amount of patients had been denied uh step down and you know and recovery time because it's closed to them but above all the hospital patients and the families I know some of them who couldn't get access to it and they died at home supported by the hospitals in Tipperary who are excellent but this is shocking the hospital is there since 1835 or 1840 and it has generations many Calic people were born in it but to treat the people like this you have a new health uh primary care centre almost in front of it across 10 million which is less than 50 percent occupied and you're telling us now you want this for community care this is the seed it's a black outing on the people of Calic ensure and surrounding districts and it's not going to be accepted by me for one anyway or by the hardworking committee there and and Catherine and indeed Eddie Reed and many more of them are by councillor Keanbrooke who came up and met the minister what can we have in our politics and democratic system if a minister tells you and tells you and writing that to your face as he told councillor Keanbrooke that it would reopen and now just so merely disclosed who's in charge of the ATT they have too much power and they've done wrecked damage to us and they wouldn't fit to handle the COVID crisis they're not fit to handle anything we lost Tipperary Community Hospital in 87 we lost St Michael's uh you know mental health beds as well under so-called vision for change and we got nothing in return we're looking to have saved I asked the council former councillor Keanbrooke at the time for saving that when we had health boards and we had accountability there's shockingly no accountability in the agency in the department of health and the money that they've spent in this there's a new lift in it Minister Butler told me yesterday there was no showers upstairs there are and there's a new lift in it so they're using HICWA now they're wheeled out this statement of HICWA who are not fit for purpose either when they want to do damage and destroy a community destroy a wonderful facility that is needed and it was fought for by the people it has to be reversed immediately thank you thank you Deputy McGrath thank you very much um Deputy I spoke to Minister Butler and Minister Donnelly about this earlier today uh and I'm happy to set out the current position uh to the house this morning St Bridges Hospital is a short stay unit with 16 beds including three palliative two respite and 11 convalescent beds the HSE operated activity at the hospital and the design and layout of the hospital is largely reflective of a small hospital from the time period in which it was built that's 1837. In March admissions were suspended and it was designated as a COVID-19 step down facility arrangements were put in place for patients requiring convalescent emergency respite and palliative care to be accommodated elsewhere in the HSE services in South Tipperary with regard to St Bridges Hospital and its infrastructure having considered the current infection control advice it is with regret that the decision has been made to discontinue short stay services at St Bridges Hospital in Carrigan Shore unfortunately I'm advised by the HSE that it is no longer feasible or sustainable to continue to operate St Bridges as a district hospital given the layout of the premises the narrow hallways the inadequate space the facilities available in in the two five-bedded wards and the risk of cross-infection with regard to the premises itself it's now proposed to use us as a base for the newly created community healthcare network in South Tipperary along with serving as a base for members of a chronic disease management team with a particular focus on diabetes it's ideally located adjacent to the primary care centre and co-location of these buildings will enable integrated and multidisciplinary working so repurposing of St Bridges will provide the HSE with the opportunity to develop community healthcare services in South Tipperary for the better with a particular focus on the management of chronic diseases like diabetes thank you that's that's a typical reply a waffle from the HSE why wouldn't we talk that in the email I got at Sunday evening 7 26. Taoiseach the wonderful staff that are there have been deployed elsewhere for COVID and they put their shoulder to the wheel and they're in the surety that they were going to present back there the building you say might be old it's a pristine building with a newer wing owner for the hospice some years ago and this will be standing when many of the prefabs now and these ready quick bills you're putting up will be rotten and decaying this will be standing and we want the people to be able to use it and the people Carrick and Shure are proud people they've got nothing only kicks from this government no factories no support but they're not accepting this and indeed Catherine who I spoke to this morning is pushing the bed to Dublin next week all the way from from Carrick and Shure one of the activists non-political person and councillor Cianbrook will be fighting as well might and may as I will this is wrong why do you stand over here reading out Balderdash from the HSE you're supposed to be in charge of the Thomas and the Taoiseach told us as well and you take this just hive off and blame Hikwa then Hikwa not fit for purpose anyway you heal out Hikwa or wheel him out when they're ready when you want to do something disastrous the dishonesty and the deceit that was perpetrated on us public representatives and the people is shameful in this that's why democracy is the way it is in this country all you want is big jobs and powerful and big positions and the hell about the little people I tell you the hell little people will rise up in the spirit of CJ Kikam and De Bruyere and they won't accept this from your so-called coalition Deputy McGrath thank you we just reset the clock the clock was malfunctioning there for a little while but I was using my stopwatch to harness that one minute thanks um thanks deputy there's one thing nobody would mistake you as uh as a little person deputy McGrath you can be sure of that we all recognize your stature in relation to the the questions deputy raises I'm advised by ministers Donnelly and ministers Donnelly and Butler that there are currently no residents no patients in the hospital now they're all being catered for elsewhere in higher quality more modern accommodation and the staff have been redeployed there are no job losses following some minor works seven whole time equivalent staff members will initially be based in at St Bridget's including the following a CHN network manager an assistant director of public health nursing a clinical nurse specialist in diabetes a dietitian both the senior dietitian and the staff the dietitian and also two administrative staff and a podiatrist will also be there to provide in-reach services at St Bridget's so while it is regrettable that it's no longer feasible or sustainable to continue to operate St Bridget's as a district hospital in the way it was in the past as part of the modernization of our health care service this building is going to be repurposed to provide um chronic disease management and better diabetes care for many more people than are currently receiving it in South Tipperary and indeed the south east thank you and overall will represent an improvement in health care services in the area you