Primary Care Centre delays due to transfer of land issue

CONTINUING delays of a Primary Care Centre in Rowlagh due to an issue with land transfer have been highly criticised.

The Primary Care Centre, which has been in the works for seven years, was initially due to be completed in 2016 but has faced significant delays.

Planning permission was granted in 2018 for the construction of a two-storey primary healthcare centre and a single-storey multi-functional space in the grounds of Collinstown Park Community College in Rowlagh, Clondalkin.

The HSE anticipated commencing construction of the centre in early 2019, with a completion date of August 2020, but this has been pushed back further with an unclear new completion date.

People Before Profit TD for Dublin Mid-West Gino Kenny has strongly criticised the continuing delays to the “much needed” Primary Care Centre following correspondence with the HSE, who confirmed that the delay is caused by an issue with the transfer of land at Collinstown Community College from the Department of Education.

“It is very disappointing to find yet another stumbling block when it comes to this much needed facility,” said Deputy Kenny. “People in the area have been waiting a long time and it seems that there is no timeframe for when the facility will be constructed.

“If commitments were given by the HSE in relation to works to the school then those commitments should be honoured so that the site can be transferred. I have also written to the Minister of Education Norma Foley to request a report on where the discussions are currently at, and to provide a timeframe for the delivery of the centre.”

The centre, when complete, is to employ 36 staff and provide a substantial range of primary care services including a GP Clinic, a nurse managed clinic, suites for speech and language therapy, occupational and physiotherapy, a dental clinic, a paediatrics suite and a mental health suite from 9am-6pm every weekday and some out of hour GP services.