Fianna Fail Councillor, John Paul Feeley has been given some reassurance about planed works to bring two of the three public nursing homes in the region into compliance with HIQA requirements.’ ‘The Breffni Care Centre, Ballyconnell is an modern building and the HSE indicate that a design team have been appointed to develop an extension and refurbishment which when completed will deliver 50 HIQA compliant beds. Work is expected to commence in Spring 2016. This is welcome when taken with details in the Sunday Business Post (Sunday 15th February) which indicate that there are ‘ongoing works being undertaken.’ Councillor Feeley noted that as the most modern of the building involved this is the one which should be most easily brought into compliance with the HIQA requirements. He remains very concerned about the other locations. ‘The response I received from the General Manager for Primary Care Services Cavan Monaghan states that ‘works to address the environmental infrastructural challenges…will be completed in June 2015,’ is welcome and the parliamentary reply referred to in the Sunday Business Post indicates merely that ‘plans are being finalised.’ Initially HIQA had indicated that twenty one centres nationally had major compliance issues. The HSE appear to have prepared costed plans for five of these but with a less clear strategy to deal with the other nursing homes involved. ‘Similarly the letter from Minister Varadkar indicates that ‘plans are being finalised’ for Arus Carolan in Mohill. These plans whilst welcome are along way off financial commitments that will see residents and staff provided with the kind of accommodation to which they are entitled.’ Concluding, Councillor Feeley stated that the desire of local and regional management to address these issues is clear, the reality is that the only way that the HIQA standards can be met, our older people and their families given the reassurance that they are entitled to require financial commitment from the HSE and Minister Varadkar. Feeley pointed out that the leaked HSE report stated that € 300 million would be required and that only € 7.3 million was available this year according to the HSE Service Plan. ENDS 
Lisdarn-Breffni-Centres-JP-Feeley-12.02.15.doc
John Paul Feeley
Fianna Fáil Member of Cavan County Council
