Cregg House hydrotherapy pool
Deputy Harkin asked for the hydrotherapy pool in Cregg House, Sligo, to be reopened through an arrangement with the HSE and the new owner. The Minister of State said the pool issue is important, asked for the details, and said she would work to see it reopened.
I want to raise a really important issue for many people, particularly those with disabilities, which is the need to find a way to reopen the hydrotherapy pool in Cregg House, Sligo. Pre Covid, this hydrotherapy pool was utilised full-time but it closed at the beginning of Covid and never reopened. In the meantime, Cregg House was sold but the new owner has indicated that he would have no problem in coming to an arrangement with the HSE to use the pool. We urgently need to put such an arrangement in place. I have been contacted by many constituents, again and again, who are asking that this hydrotherapy pool be reopened for people, especially those with severe disabilities. The hydrotherapy pool in Cregg House was a lifeline. The service that was in place is now gone and, to be honest, the people affected feel abandoned. I ask the Minister to contact the Minister for Health and ask him to speak to the HSE about the need to reopen this pool.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this very valuable topic. I fully believe in the use of hydrotherapy pools. She is correct that a number of hydrotherapy pools around the country have not reopened after Covid. I ask her to bring me the details of the pool in Sligo. I have no problem working with her, nor does the HSE, to make sure that this and other pools are reopened.