Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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I am delighted to be able to introduce this matter, which relates to the need for a primary care centre for Birr. The town has a growing population and also serves south Offaly and, indeed, people from north Tipperary. The people of the area have been left without a Midoc service for well in excess of two years. I am aware that the Sláintecare policy emphasises the need for the delivery of primary care units and acute services within the community.

I stress the urgent need for a commitment to be given to establish a primary care centre in Birr. There was great disappointment when the application for approval of a site that had been earmarked for the centre was refused by the HSE after 12 months of waiting for a response. I was very disappointed, as a Deputy serving the area, not to get an answer to my parliamentary questions on this issue. I commend the cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Councillor John Carroll from Birr, who has done fantastic work on this issue. Councillor Carroll met with HSE representatives recently and it is my understanding that there are now three options on the table for a site for the centre.

I implore the Minister of State to ensure that her Department commits to the timely delivery of a primary care centre in Birr. The services it would provide are badly needed and there is a shortage of GPs in the town. If we had a state-of-the-art primary care centre, it would likely attract GPs to the town, which would solve that problem at the same time. Will the Minister of State to commit to engaging with the HSE to secure the delivery of this facility for Birr? I have tried engaging with it and am very disappointed to say that I have had little or no response. My understanding is that when the site application was refused, after 12 months of people waiting to see what was happening, the decision was communicated by way of a telephone call to the county councillors in Birr. That is totally unacceptable.

This is a very serious issue and we need a commitment that progress will be made on it. The people of Birr deserve better and I am here today to ensure, on their behalf, that everything is done to secure the delivery of the primary care centre and that the process is not dragged out any further. As I said, the town has been without a Midoc service for more than two years, which puts it at a huge disadvantage. We must think of our elderly population and the children with particular needs who require access to acute services within a primary care setting.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Nolan for raising this issue. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, I acknowledge the Deputy's work in advocating for the people of counties Offaly and Laois. I know she has concerns about the progress of the delivery of a planned primary care centre in Birr. Although the HSE has responsibility for the delivery of such centres, there is, of course, a level of engagement with officials in the Department of Health on those projects. I welcome the opportunity to update the Deputy on this important project.

First, I assure the Deputy that the HSE has not abandoned proposals for a primary care centre in Birr. In fact, it is continuing to work closely with local GPs and is engaging with private developers to ensure the residents of Birr and its surrounding area will ultimately have access to a purpose-designed, well-equipped, high-quality facility. The development of these centres, like other building projects, is dependent on many outside factors, including the suitability of available locations and planning processes. An additional complicating factor with this development is the desire to secure the commitment of local GPs to sharing accommodation and delivering healthcare services alongside HSE staff in support of a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care.

I understand that the original site identified for the centre was at the existing rugby club facilities in Birr and that agreement had been reached between the HSE and local GPs on developing this location. However, planning permission was refused by An Bord Pleanála in June 2018. This was an extremely disappointing development but the continued commitment to deliver a centre was demonstrated by the HSE's inclusion of Birr in a national advertisement in May 2019 seeking expressions of interest to deliver centres under the operational lease model. This advertisement resulted in a number of potential locations being identified in Birr. Offaly County Council proposed a site known locally as the rectory lands.

Discussions are continuing on how best to proceed, although they have been somewhat hampered by the Covid-19 crisis. I am aware that local GPs have indicated that they do not wish to pursue the council's option and their preference remains the original rugby club site. I understand they intend to make a submission under the new Offaly county development plan to that effect. The HSE has recently written to interested parties identified in the May 2019 advertisement inviting them to submit their best and final offer for the development and operation of a primary care centre in Birr. The HSE hopes these submissions, when returned, will be considered early next year and, in the absence of further issues arising, enable an indicative centre operational date of quarter 3, 2022.

I have no doubt that Deputy Nolan and the local community in Birr are frustrated by the delays in progressing this project, but there should be no doubt that there is still a commitment to building a primary care centre in Birr. The HSE and other stakeholders continue to work to make that plan a reality and fulfil the Sláintecare vision of delivering better care, closer to people's homes and in their local communities.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. I am greatly appreciative of the information she provided because it was not known to me or to the local councillors exactly what was happening. The communication from the HSE in this matter needs to improve. I welcome that the Minister of State has got this information for us and that she is facilitating my questions on this important and urgent issue for the people of Birr and the wider area of south Offaly and north Tipperary.

I have another question for the Minister of State. She said that it the HSE hopes to made a decision on submissions received in the first quarter of 2021. I welcome that information, as I said, but we really need ongoing updates from the HSE on the matter. I do not want to have to keep chasing it for answers. In fairness, when I sent in my parliamentary questions to the Minister, they were acknowledged, but there was no follow-up from the HSE. This issue must be a top priority for the Department because the establishment of a primary care centre in Birr is very important to the people living there. I do not want to be back here in two years' time saying that nothing has happened and the sod has not yet been turned. I really hope we can get things moving very quickly and get the project off the ground.

I reiterate that the HSE needs to step up to the mark. Its communication thus far has been dire. I would like to see a timeline of what is happening as we go along. If the HSE could provide a briefing on the progress being made, as it is made, that would be very helpful. My constituents are very concerned about this issue and I, as their Deputy, would love to see the primary care centre in place. The cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council is also working very hard on the issue, as I outlined. Instead of promises, we want certainty that the project will be delivered. As it progresses, we want to be able to engage with the HSE and get feedback on it.

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her constructive points. I can hear the frustration and annoyance in her voice regarding the slow pace of this project. The development of primary care centres to accommodate primary care teams and GPs in one location is an essential enabler of the delivery of community and primary care services nationwide. The driving force behind the development of the centres is the desire to support the implementation of new models of care that offer patients access to high-quality healthcare services and resources closer to their homes and in their local community.

As I have outlined, there are different factors that can have an impact on the delivery of a primary care centre. These delays are intensely frustrating for all involved, especially local communities who, rightly, wish to see local services developed. Notwithstanding the delays in this instance, the HSE continues to work closely with local GPs and is engaging with private developers to progress the development of a centre in Birr. I assure the Deputy that both my Department and the HSE are fully committed to the Sláintecare programme. The development of primary care centres will continue to be an important building block in enabling the vision of Sláintecare to become a reality. Indeed, significant progress has been made on the roll-out of centres nationally. There are now 135 centres operational throughout the country, up from 70 at the end of 2012.

To reiterate, the HSE recently wrote to interested parties identified in the May 2019 advertisement inviting them to submit their best and final offer for the development and operation of a primary care centre in Birr. The HSE hopes that these submissions, when returned, will be considered early next year and, barring any further issues arising, enable an indicative operational date for a centre in the third quarter of 2022.

To clarify, an indicative centre operational date is when it would plan to have it open. These centres provide a setting in which a wide range of health professionals can deliver better care closer to people's homes in their local communities. I sincerely hope the people of Birr will be able to avail of such a facility in the not-too-distant future.

I accept the Deputy's point about the frustration with the lack of communication from the HSE. It is very frustrating and I will convey that to the HSE.