Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has said that while news of a delay to the development of a Primary Healthcare Centre for Sixmilebridge is concerning – he has been assured that there is full commitment to progressing the centre.
The HSE has confirmed that an issue relating to land previously identified for the centre has resulted in the need to re-advertise the development to interested landowners, in order to secure a site.
“This is extremely frustrating, to see that a process that has so much momentum to date and was on the cusp of being delivered has now met this stumbling block,” said Deputy Crowe.
“However, I have been speaking with senior figures in the HSE and with my colleague, Minister Stephen Donnelly, to seek assurances on this and have been told that there is full commitment to this project.
“It has passed through all statutory processes and this delay relates to striking an agreement with a landowner.
“This can be surmounted, though, and I’ve been assured that the HSE will devote a lot of time and effort to resolving this.
“Covid has served as an important reminder to us all that there are many vital layers to our health system and it’s not all just about large hospitals such as Ennis General and UHL – community level healthcare, as per the Sláintecare model, is going to be the way forward.
“I live in close proximity to the Westbury health centre which offers multidiscipline supports to the community – antenatal appointments, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and so on.
“My local centre is a fantastic amenity and Sixmilebridge, a large town in its own right, deserves a facility just as good and all efforts need to be made to overcome this impasse in the quickest possible time.”