Speech by Minister Reilly at the Launch of Peamount’s Centenary Celebrations, Peamount Hospital.

Minister Frances Fitzgerald T.D., Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Helen O'Neill, Miltown, with Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, at the official launch of Peamount Healthcares Centenary Year celebrations.

I am delighted to be here this morning to offically launch Peamount’s Centenary Year Programme. I would like to thank Robin Mullan, CEO for his kind invitation.

Peamount certainly has a rich and interesting history. In late nineteenth-century Ireland, tuberculosis posed the greatest danger to health,  with more than 11,000 deaths each year from the disease. In response to this epidemic, Lady Aberdeen – a courageous, visionary reformer – established Peamount as a Tuberculosis hospital with the generous support of sucessful Irish emigrants in America.

Throughout the years, Peamount has continuously evolved as a service provider with the ability to meet the changing needs of Irish society and the surrounding community, particularly for people who were historically marginalised through poverty or disability.

The structural, attitudinal, legal and systemic changes we have witnessed in Ireland, since Peamount Hospital opened a residential unit for Intellectual Disability in 1963, have not yet brought us to where we would wish to be for the intellectually disabled but they have certainly changed the landscape of experience and opportunity for the better. Issues such as access, care, opportunity and rights have been brought into the mainstream of civic discourse both at national and European levels. Ireland’s disability sector has challenged us as a society to do all that we can to ensure that no life is only half-lived or wasted through lack of opportunity, lack of choice, too many obstacles, or too little support. 

What is unfortunately sometimes forgotten is that people with a disability have the same needs as the rest of society. They want to find a positive response in their communities, to have as healthy a life as possible, to have meaningful social interaction, the chance to learn and the opportunity to contribute through employment. Peamount Hospital has played a pivotal role in making a very real and significant contribution in supporting and enabling people with a disability to realise their full potential, to participate in, and also to contribute to their communities.

In looking to the future, I am mindful of the emerging international evidence that an accelerated move towards a new model of individualised, person centred service provision in the community can help to achieve efficiencies, particularly in relation to services for those with mild or moderate intellectual disability. In Ireland service provision has, in recent years, been moving towards a community-based and inclusive model rather than being institutional and segregated.  This process is now gathering momentum towards achieving the vision of a society where people with disabilities are supported to participate fully in economic and social life, having access to a range of supports and services to enhance their quality of life and well-being.

In celebrating its Centenary, Peamount is not just looking at what it has achieved, but is also examining ways in which it can deliver a better service into the future. I understand that the process of planning for redevelopment to ensure compliance with the Care and Welfare Regulations and Standards is well underway.

While there are obvious challenges in respect of the physical infrastructure, I note that HIQA endorses the high quality of care provided by the staff at Peamount. I would like to acknowledge the high standard of care received by patients who look to Peamount to provide a place where they can be nurtured, safe, contented and respected. You should be very proud of your conciderable contribution in making such a positive difference to the lives of others.

There is no doubt that there is a definite role for Peamount to become a major support service provider to Tallaght Hospital, enabling the hospital to discharge patients quicker. The proposal of the Special Delivery Unit recently established within my Department, to move long term care beds into a more transitional role is a further significant opportunity for Peamount to develop step down and transitional care services. I am confident that the HSE and Peamount will work closely together to further develop this proposal.

Conclusion.

I can see that Peamount has been, and continues to be, an integral part of this community, providing vital care and support to those who need it. I would like to congratulate everyone who works on a daily basis to bring about positive changes to the lives of those in their care.

I have no doubt that Lady Aberdeen would be extreamely  proud of what has been achieved here over the past 100 years. I wish you every success in the future as we work together to ensure quality care for all our citizens.

Thank you.