Families of residents at a mental health facility in East Cork have vowed to continue their campaign to retain the service in Midleton
It comes as the HSE has committed to the construction of a new 10 bed facility on the same site as the Owenacurra Centre
The centre was earmarked for closure by the HSE two years ago as it was deemed not fit for purpose but relatives of residents launched a campaign for the retention of the centre and opposed the relocation of residents
The head of the HSE Bernard Gloster has confirmed that he will personally oversee the plans to construct a new 10-bed accommodation on the Owenacurra site
Maureen O'Sullivan's brother is a long term resident at Owenacurra and she told RedFM News that while she welcomes the proposed new facility she'll believe it when she sees it
"We need 30 places for people with long term mental health issues in East Cork. If this building goes ahead, then they're going to be 16. There are lots of talks about scaling down services and care without any medical justification, so we're not going away. That's for sure"
