Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhaigh, agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I appreciate him taking the time to address this issue. This is an issue which I also raised as a Commencement matter on 11 May. It concerns two healthcare facilities in north Wexford. One is the opening of the planned primary care centre in Gorey and the other is the case of a building which has being closed for eight years but is still owned by the HSE; that is the health centre based at Camolin, County Wexford.

We have been told consistently about the opening of the primary care centre in Gorey. In fact, 18 months ago the HSE said everything was on track. On the basis of answers it gave then regarding the developer being in place and planning permission and so on, it should have been opened by now. The most recent correspondence I received from the HSE was from 14 October when its representatives said that the project at Gorey was ready to proceed once some parking issues had been removed. I was told on 14 October that everything else such as planning permission and funding was in order. I have since been seeking an update as to what the position is. Gorey in north Wexford, as members know, is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. There is an urgent need for further primary care in healthcare and we had anticipated that this new primary care centre would be open by now. I am hoping the Minister of State will provide an update on the position of this centre in her response.

The second issue I raise concerns the health centre in Camolin. This is a fine building which is owned by the HSE. It was closed amid much local opposition in 2014 and essentially the HSE has done - as far as I can see - nothing about it in the eight years since. It has not been operating as a health centre and it has not been converted to accommodation or for use by community groups. In 2018, the HSE stated it would approach various agencies and if they were not interested, it would put the building on the market. This is, of course, where they did not respond to the interests of locals about taking it over. When I asked the question in May this year, I was told that this was still being done and that the title of the property was being checked. Therefore, eight years after the HSE closed this very fine building and after many queries going in, the HSE was still checking the title. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, who took the Commencement matter in May, indicated and agreed with me that it was simply not acceptable that it was taking that long.I sought an update from the HSE on 14 October and 11 November but failed to get a response on what is happening with this closed health centre in Camolin. The HSE said it was going to approach various agencies and, if that did not work, it would put the building on the market. I am not aware of any other local State agencies that have been approached about taking the building over and, as far as I am aware, it is not on the market. Following eight years of closure and complete inaction by the HSE, I hope the Minister of State will be able to impart some knowledge as to what is happening with this building, particularly when, as we know, there is a huge demand for property whether for housing to home displaced persons or refugees, or for community groups or other purposes. The fact that this fine building remains there and the HSE has done nothing about it remains a big concern. I hope the Minister of State will be able to update us.