Quaide: Some Owenacurra residents left in limbo

A Cork County Councillor has slammed the lack of progress made on a promised 10 bed mental health facility in East Cork.

The new facility was announced last year by the HSE following its decision in June 2021 to close the Owenacurra mental health centre in Midleton, which at the time was home to 19 long term residents.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of Cork County Council, Green Party Cllr Liam Quaide said the HSE has made “no progress on that plan whatsoever”.

He said: “All we have so far is a house in Middleton for 3 residents. There are 3 other residents remaining in Owenacurra who will be left in limbo.

“More broadly, there is a HSE catchment area stretching from Youghal to Cobh and even on to Glenville, with a population of almost 100,000, where we'll have no further capacity for other vulnerable adults in need of respite or long stay mental health placement.”

Fine Gael Cllr Michael Hegarty said: “From the word go, this situation has been handled in the most unusual manner that I've ever witnessed, so unprofessional. I think this calls for an investigation at the highest level by the Minister for Health. This is absolutely scandalous.”