Oireachtas health committee urges minister to reverse plan to close Owenacurra centre

Closing Owenacurra will leave the entirety of the east Cork region without a dedicated 24-hour mental health service centre

Plans for the closure of the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton, which offers residential care for people with significant mental health challenges, was announced last June.

The evidence presented by the HSE for why the Owenacurra mental health facility should be closed has been “unconvincing”, the Oireachtas Health Committee has said.

In a letter to Minister of State Mary Butler, seen by the Irish Examiner, TDs and senators urged her to reverse the decision to close the centre “urgently”.