Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue for the community I represent, particularly in the Carrigaline area. Carrigaline is a vibrant and thriving town with a population of some 16,000. In 1971, when it was designated as a satellite town and earmarked for significant growth, it had a population of less than 1,000. Like many other satellite towns, it has grown substantially in recent years. However, it has a deficit of infrastructure and community facilities.

This deficit is best exemplified by the health centre which currently serves the town. Situated in the centre of Carrigaline, it is a very old, small building. Its staff make the best of the situation, working in exceptionally difficult conditions. The community welfare officers work out of the health centre and it is not unusual in recent months to see people queuing on the street for appointments with them. The facility is inadequate to meet the needs of a growing and vibrant town of Carrigaline's size.

It was with this in mind that the Health Service Executive, some years ago, acquired a suitable site for a new health centre. I commend the executive on the purchase of this site, which is strategically located in the heart of the town and within walking distance for a large portion of the population. The executive has since advanced plans to develop a state-of-the-art health facility. I also welcome the inclusion of this project in the Health Service Executive's capital programme in recent years, indicating its commitment to advancing the project.

However, I am disappointed with the pace of progress in developing this essential facility. Last month, I received a reply to a parliamentary question I submitted. I suspect that reply will form the basis of the Minister of State's response tonight. However, I hope he will have some additional news. The Health Service Executive was given approval in October 2006 to appoint a design team and to commence the planning process. However, a planning application was not lodged until January 2008. At the end of February of that year, the local authority wrote to the Health Service Executive requesting more information. It was a full six months before a response was issued. Eventually, however, planning permission was granted in November 2008. I understand there is a budget of €250,000 to advance the project through detailed design and to publication of tender documents this year. A capital allocation for the construction of €4.1 million was ring-fenced last year. However, because of the delay in advancing the project, it did not proceed to construction last year and the Health Service Executive must now seek approval from the Department of Finance to proceed once the contractor has been identified.

It is important that a town of Carrigaline's size should have a health centre that can be the cornerstone of the primary care strategy, as announced by the Government in 2001. That strategy noted that primary care is the appropriate setting to meet 90% to 95% of all health and personal social service needs. Some of the facilities that could be provided at the Carrigaline health centre include speech and language therapies, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The new health centre could be a centre of excellence for public health nursing. It could be the headquarters out of which the community welfare officers work. Counselling services could be provided. In the evening time, when most of the facilities are closed, it could be used as a meeting area for bereavement support groups, suicide awareness groups, Alcoholics Anonymous and so on. Parent and toddler groups could use the premises in the mornings.

I urge the Health Service Executive to progress this project without delay. Carrigaline urgently needs this new health centre. There is no better time to go to tender for a major construction contract of this type, with excellent value to be had. I am sure the Health Service Executive will be well able to bring this project to completion within budget or even ahead of budget. I ask it to do so as soon as possible. I commend Cork County Council on its support for this development through the Carrigaline priority project. The council has identified it as a key development. I hope the Minister of State will confirm the Health Service Executive's commitment to developing a state-of-the-art health centre for Carrigaline at the earliest possible time.

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