Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I congratulate the nation of Germany on its national day.

I want to raise the story by Ferghal Blaney in the Irish Daily Mirrorconcerning the HSE's property portfolio. It does not surprise me that so many HSE buildings are underutilised. One of the buildings I have been referring to in this Chamber is the former HSE clinic in Camolin, County Wexford. This building was closed nine years ago, in 2014, much to the annoyance of the local community, and no action was taken by the HSE. It let the building sit there. Finally, in 2018, four years later, the HSE stated it would approach various local agencies to ask them whether they wanted to make use of it and that, if they did not, it would put it on the market. By May 2022, in spite of several inquiries, nothing had happened. I tabled a Commencement matter on the issue at the time. The response stated the title of the property was then being checked. Therefore, eight years after the building was closed by the HSE, it was questioning the title of the property. By the end of 2022, we were still in circumstances in which nothing had been done about the building. The HSE said it was still looking into the title of the property but that it was considering making it available for Ukrainian families.This was welcomed by the local community. The community in Camolin is very welcoming. They were pleased that after eight years something would finally be done with this building. However, in spite of the several inquiries I have made of the HSE this year, nothing has happened. I have no confidence in the HSE property section to properly manage buildings around the country. We urgently need a debate on that subject.