Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. The debate offers an opportunity to provide the House with a report on the delivery of a much needed primary care centre for Finglas, as Deputy Lyons has indicated. Finglas has been identified as a high priority location for the development of a primary care centre. Approval for a HSE direct-build primary care centre was made in 2012 in the context of the HSE's multi-annual capital plan.

Following the review of a number of sites in the area, the HSE identified a Dublin City Council-owned property on Mellowes Road, Finglas as the preferred site for the construction of the proposed new Finglas primary care centre. Subject to planning permission, the commercial terms for the sale were agreed with officials of Dublin City Council and approved by the HSE. This site was selected because it is centrally located in the catchment area which it is intended to serve; it has very good accessibility and is well served by bus routes; it is a generous green-field site, has future expansion capacity and there would be no impact on current services during the construction period; it would complement the HSE day care centre on Kildonan Road; it facilitates the establishment of GP services in this area; and local GPs have expressed significant interest, in discussions with the HSE, in being a part of this development in this specific location.

The HSE now advises that the north-west committee, which is a local area committee of Dublin City Council, has rejected the proposed sale of the Mellowes Road site to the HSE for use as a health care facility. A final decision is awaited from Dublin City Council. This is a very disappointing outcome for one of the most socially deprived areas in the country. The HSE remains committed to the development of this primary care centre and has appointed a design team which has commenced a preliminary design. The design is now on hold pending completion of the purchase. It was intended to submit the planning application once the site acquisition had been finalised.

An important feature of the HSE's construction programme is that it recognises the construction dynamic - that construction projects can develop at different paces - and as a consequence it is multi-annual. Ring-fencing this project's estimated construction costs - Deputy Lyons has specifically raised this issue - would cut across the multi-annual concept and be counter-productive, as funds ring-fenced but not spent in a given year must be surrendered to the Exchequer at year end. That is clearly a difficulty but I note the question that Deputy Lyons has raised and I will ensure that the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for primary care are made aware of it.

This project's progress and its estimated costs, as is the case for all other projects, are reviewed and revised as appropriate at each stage of development. Primary care is central to the Government's policy objective to deliver an integrated and cost-effective health care system. The primary care strategy states that primary care is the appropriate setting to meet 90% to 95% of all health and personal social service needs.

Improving equity of access has the potential to improve health by ensuring that people know what services they are entitled to, how to get those services and that there are no barriers, financial or otherwise, to receiving the services they need. Finglas has many urgent needs and the provision of a 21st century heath care facility will underpin and support our efforts to improve health and well-being in Finglas.

The current position is very disappointing but the Minister has urged a speedy resolution. This primary care centre is a priority health care facility which the HSE and the Department of Health are committed to delivering.

As regards the Deputy's other point on flexibility, I will bring that to the attention of both Ministers also.

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