Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Murnane O'Connor for raising this issue. I acknowledge her work in advocating for the people of Carlow-Kilkenny. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly.

I can confirm that a preferred site has been identified close to Tullow town centre for the construction of a new primary care centre. The new facility will not only provide community services to the people of Tullow, it will also serve the local population in the surrounding areas of Rathvilly and Hacketstown. Subject to the established procurement protocols and planning approvals, it is expected that works should commence on site early in quarter 1 of 2022. I must ask the Deputy this question. Has she seen a planning application submitted to Carlow County Council? If she has seen it, the planning application will show the identified site and we all know how long the planning application process takes. If she has not seen it, I will need to take the matter up with the HSE to see where it is at with submitting the application.

The centre will complement and build on the work already being done by the HSE's south-east community healthcare services in delivering primary care, mental health, social care, and health and well-being services in Carlow. It will provide a broad range of services, including GPs, public health nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dentists, podiatrists, speech and language therapists, and psychologists.

To ensure that access to all these services is as straightforward as possible, the centre will contain a number of multidisciplinary bookable rooms for visiting healthcare professionals, while the required car parking facilities will also be provided. In addition, the centre will serve as a base for one of the 30 multidisciplinary specialist teams for chronic disease being developed under the enhanced community care programme. These teams will target four ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, namely, diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, and will allow patients to access care in the community, close to where they live rather than having to travel to hospital.

I am sure the Deputy will agree that this is an especially welcome development, and a concrete example of how the Government's significant investment in health services is benefiting local people and individual patients. In my role as Minister of State, I know the challenges that we face in building up services in the community and in tackling waiting lists. I certainly do not pretend that things are perfect. What I can say is that the development of this centre will improve services in Tullow and the surrounding area by providing: access to a greater range of health and social care services within the community; better integration between hospital and primary care services; an holistic approach to community needs with enhanced capacity for primary care in the areas of disease prevention, rehabilitation and personal social services; and shared care arrangements for the management of chronic conditions.

This is a welcome development, and another step on the road to implementing Sláintecare and transforming how we deliver health services in our community. I hope that answers the Deputy's question. I know it does not give her a specific site location. However, as the HSE expects this to come on stream in quarter 1 of 2022, I would assume that the planning application is in the offing.

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