Delay to new Kerry nursing home ‘a disgrace’ as patients offered beds as far away as Offaly
The KerrymanA Kerry councillor has branded the delayed opening of a major nursing home a “disgrace” as elderly relatives reported being offered beds as far as County Offaly.
Councillor Brendan Cronin blasted the nearly year-long delay to the new Killarney Community Nursing Unit (CNU), calling on the HSE to clarify the “unacceptable” situation of patients being offered beds outside the county.
The 130-bed CNU was initially set to open in January but is now expected to open in mid-2026. Cllr Cronin said he had seen a “number of cases” of the last few months of elderly relatives being offered beds in County Limerick, Cork and in one case, County Offaly – over a two-hour drive from Killarney.
“That kind of scenario facing our families is our county is completely unacceptable and when we drive past the bypass in Killarney and there’s a 130-bed facility…I know the HSE realise how frustrating and difficult it is for families to see that sitting there empty and being in the situation with administrations trying to place them somewhere in Cork or Limerick or Offaly,” said Cllr Cronin.
“This facility needs to be up and running and operating. There are families in this county crying out for a bed for their relatives and it’s a shame and a disgrace to see the way it’s dragging out.”
The new CNU comprises of four 25-bed households made up of short and long-term beds and three 10-bed dementia households. Full production kitchen, therapy suites, external spaces and various communal spaces for the residents are included.
Councillor John O’Donoghue said it was nearly 18 months since the councillors had been given a tour and he said it had seemed “very ready” at the time.
He had been told that the HSE doesn’t move elderly people during the winter months, concluding this would mean the building could be vacant for another six months, despite the HSE saying in March in they were planning to move patients in ahead of winter.
The new unit will replace the current services provided in St Columbanus Home and the District Hospital (Rehab Unit), which are now being assessed for a potential primary care centre, after Áras Phádraig site plans fell through.
Both sites are set to be vacated once the new CNU is operational.
The HSE state that they offer residential placements for elderly patients as close to home as possible, but that they can only offer placements in facilities with available capacity.