Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising the issue of the refurbishment of Celbridge health centre and the provision of a dental clinic at the centre. The provision of services, including dental services, is an operational matter for the HSE. The HSE has advised that it has a modernisation plan for the dental service in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7. The existing location is a three-surgery clinic that requires upgrading of decontamination facilities, administrative space and other infection prevention and control upgrades. The dental location in Celbridge acts as a hub for dental services in north Kildare due to the larger population of schoolchildren being served by that location. The location has already been upgraded to provide extra oral radiographic services to patients attending other clinics in the north of the county.

The Celbridge clinic closed in June 2018 for refurbishment to enable it to comply with new regulations. Refurbishment work has been tendered and tender returns are being reviewed by HSE estates. The HSE capital plan for 2020 is being developed. Funding will be dependent on the capital available and competing priorities. Routine dental services are being provided in the HSE dental clinics in Naas while emergency services are available from all HSE dental clinics located across the dental area as per normal. The HSE is also engaged in a recruitment process to replace dental staff that have recently retired. While the dental clinic in Celbridge is closed, all patients are being offered services as close as possible to Celbridge. The HSE is actively monitoring this service and will ensure that all patients will continue to be offered appointments.

The Celbridge primary care centre became operational in 2017. It is a vital resource to the growing population of Celbridge and its surrounding area, serving approximately 23,000 people. It delivers a comprehensive range of services through Centric Health GP Practice, Mangan's Pharmacy and Riverside Dental. Primary care team services, including public health nursing, adult and paediatric occupational therapy, adult and paediatric physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and much more are also delivered on site. The network disability teams services and child and adolescent mental health services are also part of the services being delivered. The provision of these different services at the one location is designed to benefit the patient, but I know that it also gives practitioners an invaluable opportunity as professionals to work together and learn from one another's experience, which is so important. The Health Service Executive will develop its capital plan for 2020 having regard to the available funding, the number of large national capital projects under way, and the cashflow requirements and priorities attaching to each project. All projects are considered as part of this process. Once the HSE has finalised its capital plan for 2020, it will then be submitted to the Minister, Deputy Harris, for consideration.

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