Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

The HSE sought expressions of interest in December 2007 and July 2008 for the provision of primary care centres for primary care teams. Negotiations with interested parties proceeded in respect of 163 locations. Letters of intent have issued in respect of approximately 80 of these locations. Of those 80 locations, one centre has opened in Letterkenny, seven centres are due to open by the end of January 2010 at Kinnegad, Moate, Gorey, Waterford City, Carlow, Callan and Trim, respectively, and a further 37 are scheduled to open during 2010. These 80 locations will provide accommodation for 105 primary care teams and approximately 350 general practitioners will provide services from them.

The terms and conditions of the leasing arrangement stipulate that the HSE will sign a lease with a landlord only when GP involvement in providing services from the primary care teams accommodated in a centre has been agreed. The HSE has indicated that negotiations may not be completed in all of the chosen locations due to planning issues, withdrawal of developers or banking or market conditions. The HSE is also continuing to develop primary care centres through its Exchequer funded capital programme, with seven such centres opened in 2009 at Irishtown, Mark's Lane and Dundrum in Dublin, Strokestown in County Roscommon, Inis Mór and Clonbur in County Galway and Westbury in County Clare.

See this speech in context