Reports last week said that the specialist dementia and palliative care units—currently under construction with a projected cost of €4.5 million—had not yet been approved for HSE funds for the staff required to run them.

“We have been fundraising for five years and thanks to the tremendous support of the local community, that has been a massive success. The original number of beds in the hospice unit was four and now we have rallied for some extra day beds. The uncertainty all hinges around the annual running costs of the units, which are significant, but as far as we are concerned the commitment has been made and this hasn’t changed,” he said.

“We have also received confirmation from Limerick West TD Niall Collins that there has been a sanction to hire a clinical nurse manager, whose function would be to formulate policies for the running of the unit. The HSE would hardly be making such an appointment if the units were not going to be opening.”

He added that all involved would be “very happy to see them open by the end of the year. Contruction is meant to be complete by the end of this month or early August and in September, they are due to be furnished and equipped. There is no indication that this won’t happen”.

The units will potentially cater for over 4,700 people over 65 in the catchment area.

A HSE statement confirmed that the handover of both units is scheduled for September and that number of staff “for whom approval was sought and awaited is in the order 20 and 25 WTEs (whole time equivalent hours ) per unit”.

Mr Scanlon said that the community hospital has a “huge reputation because of the excellent care it gives and the way it looks after its elderly patients from this community”.

“We have raised €1.83 million in total for the hospital—providing a new minibus and other equipment too—and that also includes a very generous donation of €750,000 from the JP McManus Pro-Am. I suppose it’s sad that we have to fundraise at all but we have worked hard to make up the shortfall on different projects,” he said,

“There are 20 of us working on it and even when we met Mary Harney, she commended the local effort made. But we will still be keeping the pressure on and have contacted the local TDs to urge them to use their office to ensure that the units are open so

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