Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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7. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the provision of primary care centres at Coolock and Darndale and at Edenmore in Dublin Bay North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42713/15]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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I ask the Minister for an update on the roll-out of primary care centres, in particular two centres at Coolock-Darndale and Edenmore, respectively. There is a great deal of pressure on Beaumont Hospital at this time of the year in particular. If there were progress on the primary care centres, it would take a lot of that pressure off the hospital.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The development of primary care remains central to the Government's objective of delivering a high-quality, integrated and cost-effective health care service at community level. This involves shifting the balance of care from a hospital-centered service to one located in the community to enable people easily to access a broad spectrum of services at local level. The development of primary care centres is taking place through a combination of direct build by the State, public private partnerships, or PPPs, and operational leasing. The facilities will house GP and community nursing teams and offer additional services including physiotherapy, social work, counselling and occupational therapy.

The Coolock-Darndale primary care centre is one of 14 locations to be delivered under a single PPP project. Following a detailed tender evaluation process, the National Development Finance Agency announced the Prime-Balfour Beatty consortium as the preferred tenderer in May 2015. Subject to successful completion of financial and contractual arrangements, it is expected that construction work will commence in early 2016 and that the primary care centres, including the Coolock-Darndale centre, will be delivered during 2017.

With regard to the proposed primary care centre at Edenmore, the HSE proposes to use the operational lease mechanism. In November 2014, the HSE sought expressions of interest from interested parties for primary care centres to be delivered using the operational lease mechanism. Edenmore was one of 73 locations advertised and expressions of interest were received for this location. Following the third stage selection process, heads of terms have recently been agreed with the selected provider. In line with the normal property approval protocol of the HSE, the project will be submitted to the HSE's property review group for approval.

A major programme to develop primary care centres has been considerably advanced and I look forward in the period ahead to further developments, including those at Coolock and Darndale and in Edenmore. I hope this is of help to the Deputy.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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I thank the Minister of State for the response. When does she expect the Edenmore centre to come on stream? She mentioned construction for the Coolock-Darndale centre specifically being delivered in early 2017, but what is the status of the Edenmore centre? What level of review has been done in respect of those primary care centres which have actually come on stream? Are they carrying out their functions well and are there plans to take further pressure off hospitals directly?

In terms of the original plan, what percentage of what the Minister of State said she would deliver has been delivered at this stage? In Beaumont Hospital INMO members will work to rule on 16 December. It is very frightening. They are doing great work in a hospital which is hugely understaffed.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will let the Deputy back in again.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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If the Minister of State delivers the primary care centres, it will certainly take a lot of pressure off the hospital directly.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There are other Deputies who are waiting to ask questions.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The number of primary care centres being built is ahead of profile and the process is working extremely well. We are proposing to build even more under an operational lease which also has to go through a process. The issue is not just about buildings, it is also about ensuring GPs in a certain area are prepared to co-operate and avail of the facility. Then and only then will other services be provided in the centre. A lot of preparatory work has to be done in advance of providing the buildings. There are some areas where that co-operation is not forthcoming, for example, where GPs have already formed a co-operative and put substantial moneys into their own practice.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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That is welcome, but the issue of Beaumont Hospital is directly related and is in the same catchment area. There are 43 nursing vacancies across 14 units. It is an issue that has been referred to already this morning.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is a separate question.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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What is the Minister of State doing to ensure these vacancies will be filled in a timely manner? The INMO has stated beds will have to be closed because of the shortage of staff in the hospital and the severe pressure under which staff are working. That fact has to be appreciated. The Minister of State should ensure these two primary care centres are rolled out in a timely manner.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The only way hospitals will have respite is, for instance, if various chronic illnesses are treated in primary care centres. That should give us some breathing space. Minor surgeries will be performed in primary care centres more often in 2016 than in 2015. There were 20 in 2015 and the proposal is to have 80 in 2016. There will always be vacancies for nurses, junior doctors and consultants. The difficulty is in attracting people into the system. We had to reduce the number employed and everyone knows why - the economy had collapsed - but we are trying to reverse that trend. There will, however, always be vacancies within acute units and hospitals. People who qualify like to travel, but we are hoping that once they have got the travel bug out of their system, they will come home and see Ireland as an attractive place in which to work.