Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The HSE boasts on its website that it is "the largest property owner in the State, so staying on top of all our facilities is key to the smooth functioning of our entire health system". Among the main strategic objectives of the HSE estates section are: "To provide appropriate facilities that serve and accommodate patients and staff in a relaxed, nurturing and caring environment and support the delivery of clinical services" and "To maximize the use of our buildings and land bank to optimise its value and to reduce costs." I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, is taking this on behalf of the Minister for Health but he has a responsibility for public procurement. The Minister of State will be very aware of how we measure these types of objectives. I have to bring up again in this House the issue about how HSE estates are managing two particular projects: one is the planned primary care centre for Gorey, County Wexford, and the other is the former HSE clinic at Camolin, County Wexford.

Let us deal with the primary care centre in the first instance. This was conceived more than a decade ago and planning permission was granted in August 2018. The Minister of State will be aware that permission lasts for five years and, therefore, it is not clear whether planning will continue.In the spring of 2021, when the HSE was contacted about this, it asserted that everything was on track. When I raised this issue in here again in May 2022, I was told that the project was still on track, but there were some car parking issues. In November 2022, I raised this issue again as a Commencement matter. I have to raise it as a Commencement matter because I cannot get answers from the HSE. Again, it said there were some car parking issues.

To try to move this on, at the beginning of November I arranged a meeting with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and the relevant officials. In fact, the Minister could not even believe it. He said that even the national children's hospital, with all its delays and overruns, has taken less time than this primary care centre in Gorey. However, we were assured at that meeting, which was more than a month ago, that decisions would be imminent with regard to this primary care centre. However, I must not know the meaning of "imminent", because since that time I have been unable to get answers from the HSE about what action would be taken.

The pressures in Gorey are particularly acute. In inter-census period from 2016 to 2022, the population of the town grew by 20% and the LEA has grown by 14%. You can, therefore, imagine the additional pressures that are being placed on health services in the area.

Let us look, then, at the other area I want to raise, which is the former HSE clinic in Camolin. I refer to this regarding how the HSE speaks about maximising the use of buildings. In 2014, the HSE closed this building. In 2018, it indicated that it was offering it for local use to various agencies and, if that failed, it would put it on the market. A number of locals even inquired about local use, but they failed to get an answer. That was in 2018. By May 2022, we were told this was still being done but that this time the title of the building was being checked. When I raised it as a Commencement matter in May 2022, the Minister of State at the time, Deputy Feighan, agreed that this was not acceptable, but said he had been informed that the process was almost complete. In November 2022, I raised this issue again in this House with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. I raised all the same issues again. However, in this case, she said that the building could be used to house Ukrainian families and that was being considered. The local community in Camolin welcomed this at a time when we were searching for accommodation. This was more than a year ago and yet nothing has happened.

We had the meeting with the Minister at the beginning of last month, on November 13. We were told by HSE estates at the meeting that action in Camolin would be taken within the following week. Yet, I have been unable to get any answers. Quite frankly, I am exasperated by this. The HSE has more than 400 properties right around the country that are being underutlised or derelict. The the HSE is failing to meet the objectives I set out earlier. The Minister of State is responsible for public procurement. Does he have confidence that HSE estates is able to effectively meet the objectives it has set out for itself?