John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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I thank the Chair for the opportunity to speak on the urgent need to ring-fence funding for the stalled primary care centre planned for Mellowes Road in Finglas, Dublin. To provide some background, the centre is in the capital expenditure plan and funding has been granted to get the project started. I warmly welcome this project, which Finglas needs badly. The site that the HSE identified as the best overall location is a Dublin City Council property on Mellowes Road in west Finglas. In order for the sale of land to go ahead, a vote was taken at the north west area committee meeting of local councillors the week before last. Unfortunately, apart from two Labour Party councillors who were in attendance, everyone else voted against the site's sale.

While councillors might have voted against the land's sale for various reasons, the main opposition revolved around the belief that the centre should be located in Finglas village. I respect people's right to decide based on where they believe it should be located.

However, a site was already planned as an ideal location which had been decided by the HSE after much consideration. Essentially, this has resulted in the indefinite stalling of a badly needed primary care facility in Finglas. It could also seriously threaten the funding to build this state-of-the-art primary care centre in future.

At the moment there are not enough GPs located in Finglas west or south to serve a population of approximately 18,000. It is recommended that there should be one GP for every 1,500 people but there are insufficient GPs in the Finglas west and south areas. This location is also recognised as an area of high deprivation. It has acute health care needs that have been identified by the HSE and would be best met in the locality. The HSE has told all public representatives in the area that there is no alternative site that meets its needs in Finglas for this primary care centre to go ahead. The HSE has said that GPs have signed up for this project. The HSE has also told us that it has plans for it but does not have the site to build the primary care centre.

If the HSE does not meet its deadlines for the project, the funding for it may be in danger. That is my major concern. I am very worried that if the proposals fall down at this stage the residents of Finglas will not get the primary care centre they badly need and deserve.

Can the Minister of State with responsibility for primary care ring-fence the funding for the proposed primary care centre in Finglas, irrespective of what happens with the purchase of the Mellowes Road site? Can some flexibility concerning deadlines be given to the HSE's project team? Any time extension on the decision to withdraw funding would give the HSE project team and local representatives the possibility of coming up with a solution that will still meet the need that the people of Finglas deserve, which is a primary care centre there. I would greatly appreciate it if the Minister of State could respond to those questions.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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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.

John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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I welcome the response that has been given by the Department of Health on this matter. It reiterates many of our concerns locally on the issue. I am glad to see that the response highlights it is disappointing to see that local politics has played a part in what could lead to local people not getting what they are entitled to, deserve and ultimately need.

As the Minister of State said, the particular location for this site is the best one on all grounds. I have also heard that from the HSE. In addition, her reply highlighted the fact that this is in an area of huge social deprivation. Those who need the service most would benefit from it because it would be on their doorsteps. It would also be accessible for people from all around the area by other modes of transport, including buses.

I thank the Minister of State for her positive response which recognises the need for this centre in its current location. I will continue to support this project at local level. I have spoken to the Minister of State with responsibility for primary care, Deputy Alex White, about this matter and he is aware of the situation. He is very concerned about the decision not to move to building on this particular site.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, for taking on my concerns. I look forward to hopefully having a positive outcome. When we take politics out of this, the only winners at the end of the day should be the people of Finglas and nobody else.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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As I said, I will certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Minister for Health and the Minister of State. It is important for people to recognise how funding operates and it is important to spend money that is allocated. If there is flexibility we will ensure that it is exercised. Speed is an issue here, however, and decisions will obviously have to be made regarding the site. The most important priority is that Finglas needs to get a primary care centre.