Concerns over building delays at Cork mental health centre

SOCIAL DEMOCRAT councillor for East Cork Liam Quaide has expressed concern over issues around Owenacurra, a mental health centre in Midleton, which closed more than three years ago.

Mr Quaide and Neasa Hourigan, Green Party TD for Dublin Central met the recently-appointed HSE regional executive officer for the South West, Dr Andy Phillips.

They raised concerns about delays in the time-frame for commencement of a new build, 10-bedroom service on the grounds, which was moved from Q1 to Q4 of this year, and “the lack of any interim provision for the broader client cohort in East Cork, beyond the six residents who have been accommodated locally”.

A HSE spokesperson told The Echo the delay in commencing the new build was primarily caused by the fact that the facility had to be redesigned, due to the major flooding event which occurred in Midleton in October 2023.

“The HSE is working through the updated design process so as to deliver the 10-bed, purpose-built facility which will include flood protection elements such as raised floor levels.”

Mr Quaide and Ms Hourigan also highlighted the fact that repeated parliamentary questions are not being answered on where people with residential mental health needs from East Cork are being placed since the closure.

Mr Quaide said: “This is key information relating to the fallout of the Owenacurra Centre closure and to the HSE’s failure to provide a local interim replacement plan at the time or since.”

He also raised ethical concerns about the transfer of residents to ward-based facilities.

Mr Quaide said that these “were objectively inferior in respect of location, room occupancy, and Mental Health Commission compliance ratings,” adding that these concerns were shared by a committee of the HSE board at a meeting in February 2023. He said residents who had strong family representation were able to stay in Midleton and are being accommodated locally, “while other residents had concerning outcomes”.

“There is therefore an ethical concern, with information about ongoing placement of East Cork service-users being repeatedly withheld by the HSE in responses to parliamentary questions.”

The HSE said: “We make every effort to respond to all such questions from TDs and senators in a timely and comprehensive way.

“We are very aware of our legislative obligations, and committed not just to meeting these obligations, but also to being open and transparent and we take our responsibilities to engage fully and openly with elected representatives very seriously.

“As a general point, we’re not in a position to provide details about the treatment or placement of individual patients, particularly when patients could be identifiable.”