Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not think I have ever gotten to Question No. 22 during my Oral Parliamentary Questions.

I very much welcome Deputy Curran's important question, and this is something about which he has corresponded with me over the last number of months as well. I am well aware there have been delays in developing a primary care centre in Lucan. The HSE has informed me that an advertisement for the development of such a centre was placed in the Lucan Gazetteon 6 April 2017, and a letter of intent was issued in August of that year to the preferred bidder selected by the HSE based on the submissions received. The proposed location for the centre was on the grounds of St. Edmundsbury Hospital. Unfortunately, due to a lack of progress on the project by the joint proposers, which was very disappointing, the HSE decided to withdraw the letter of intent which had, in any case, expired. There was a real willingness, and there remains a willingness, from the HSE to provide this primary care centre. In fact, the HSE has confirmed to me that it is still very committed to delivering a primary care centre in Lucan. Indeed, the project was included in an advertisement published in the national press only this month, on Friday, 3 May 2019. This advertisement seeks submissions of interest from parties that wish to develop primary care healthcare facilities under the operational lease mechanism. I understand from the HSE that one of the parties in the original joint submission has indicated that it intends to resubmit a proposal in response to the new advertisement, and that will need to be considered by the HSE in the appropriate fashion. I am certainly happy to take a proactive interest in this and, if it is of use to the Deputy, I would be happy to meet with Dublin Mid-West Deputies on this in the next month or so and to see what progress has been made.

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