The Minister for Health is being called on to clarify when a specialist palliative care unit will be developed for the midlands - including Westmeath and Longford.
The Irish Hospice Foundation says despite plans unveiled 20 years ago, the midlands remains the last area of Ireland without plans for specialist inpatient unit for those requiring hospice care.
The IHF is seeking a meeting with Stephen Donnelly to clarify the timeframe for the investment in palliative care for the Midlands region and in particular when the issue of the absence of an inpatient Hospice will be addressed.
Recent figures released from the HSE, show that the funding allocated for specialist palliative care varies widely across the country from over €30 per person in the Midwest to less than €11 per person in the Midlands.
Plans for a Tullamore-based hospice unit were expected to reach almost €13m and Sharon Foley, CEO of Irish Hospice Foundation says that is beyond the fundraising capacity of local voluntary groups :
