Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, I thank the Senator for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the House.

As he will be aware, a central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare services, with delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services, enabling a home-first approach. Integral to this is the development of primary care centres, PCCs, across the country in local communities.

Primary care centres provide accommodation from which a wide range of primary community care services are delivered, including GP services, primary care teams and nursing, but often also accommodate disability services, dental, older person services and mental health services. Significant progress has been made in the delivery of these centres nationally, with 174 opened to date and a further seven currently in construction. These primary care centres offer a tangible example of the investment this Government is making in community-based health infrastructure.

In Mid-West Community Healthcare, which covers counties Limerick and Clare and north Tipperary, there are 13 PCCs in operation. In County Clare specifically, there has been the addition of a primary care centre on Station Road in Ennis. This centre became operational in Q4 2022.

Furthermore, an additional two PCCs are currently in construction in Mid-West Community Healthcare: one in Newcastlewest, County Limerick, due to become operational very soon and currently in the equipping stage; and one in Roscrea, County Tipperary, due in Q2 2024.

The HSE has advised that a review of the operational lease model for delivery of PCCs was recently conducted. The review having been completed, the HSE intends to progress the reactivation of a number of proposed primary care centre developments in the coming months.

The provision of a primary care centre in Ennistymon, County Clare will be delivered by means of the operational lease model. Following the completion of the review of PCCs, it is intended to reactivate the Ennistymon development.

I am happy to report that updated submissions will be sought in quarter 2, 2024. Following receipt of updated submissions, this project will then progress through the review, planning and construction stages of the operational lease model process.

A primary care centre will be a welcome addition to the people and healthcare workers of Ennistymon, and I assure the Senator that the Government remains committed to the provision of a primary care centre for Ennistymon and to the continued development of care centres throughout the country.