Councillor slams lack of progress on residential mental health facility

A CORK councillor has criticised the lack of progress on the delivery of a residential mental health facility in East Cork.

Green Party councillor Liam Quaide, who has been advocating for residents of Owenacurra to remain at the centre amid the HSE’s decision to close the facility back in 2021, has said that ensuring the delivery of adequate mental health services in the East Cork area has been “by far the most important issue” in his constituency since he was elected.

Owenacurra was first set for wind-down in June of 2021, with an expected closure date of the end of October that year.

The movement of its residents to other facilities has proven extremely unpopular locally, amid claims the reasons given for the closure were flawed.

Following a determined protest campaign by its residents, their families, and locals, the HSE last month said it had re-registered the facility as an official centre for an additional three years where only six of the 20 occupants remain.

The HSE said, however, the decision to re-register is not indicative of any change of emphasis or direction in its decision to close the facility.

Most recently, Julie O’Neill, head of service of mental health services at Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said in a letter to Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan dated March 21, that the HSE is in the process of purchasing a property in Midleton in order to deliver a commitment to provide a community residence in the town for three residents.

Ms O’Neill said the purchase of a property will be “an exciting development for mental health services in the area”, but that the HSE has not yet concluded the purchase of a property.

She said, however, that the HSE plans for the mental health residential provision in East Cork “will deliver a much better service” for the region.

Mr Quaide said that the many other families in East Cork left without a respite or long-stay community service “beg to differ”.

“The only progress management have made in a year since announcing that plan, and two years since announcing the Owenacurra closure is the purchase of a house accommodating just three of the original 20 Owenacurra residents. There are six remaining residents in Owenacurra.”