There are renewed concerns for the future of the Dean Maxwell Home in Roscrea.
Officially the facility is due to end its long term residential care on January 1st as the building will not meet new HIQA standards which come into force on that day.
There has been a concerted campaign to ensure the facility remains open however the Roscrea Community Development Council say the silence from government on the issue is worrying.
Speaking on Tipp Today RCDC Chairman John Lupton said the planned construction of a 50 bed unit in Nenagh to cater for people from Roscrea isn’t the answer.
“We’re basically looking for government to underwrite the principle that older people who need long term residential care should be able to get that facility in their own community.
“To build what would be in economic terms maybe a multi-bed unit in Nenagh that would facilitate people in Roscrea is to assume that people are economic units and not human beings.”
John Lupton says they need to protest but accepts that the Covid pandemic means a mass rally is not suitable.
“It’s not an ideal time to be protesting or not an ideal time to be asking people to come out in large numbers. Before we had over 3,000 people on the streets when there was a fear of losing beds in the Dean Maxwell a number of years ago.
“Unfortunately in the present circumstances that bringing together of people might be somewhat reckless and ill advised but it needs something of that scale.”
