Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I, too, welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter.

It is always important in debates such as this to put on the record the very proud history of St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy. It can trace its history back to the opening of the Athy workhouse on 9 January 1844, an event that came just in time to relieve some of the harshest effects of the Famine in and around the area of south Kildare. The Sisters of Mercy arrived there as nursing sisters in 1873. In 1898, the building became a county home.

As I have stated previously, St. Vincent's Hospital has a proud history in the care of older persons that is unrivalled among hospitals. The 175 or so staff who work in the hospital have a reputation for care that goes above and beyond their call of duty and is the number one reason there is always a waiting list of families hoping to obtain beds for their loved ones. Not a week passes when I do not get a call from someone or meet a family or individual who tells me of the extraordinary care a loved one is receiving or has received in the past in St. Vincent's. The hospital attracts patients from all over Kildare and neighbouring counties. It is a source of great pride for the people of Athy that the hospital is located in the town. That is why the people of Athy and the staff of the hospital are anxious as to the future of this great hospital, which has stood on the site for some 180 years. On the timeline for the new hospital, it was in 2019 that I received confirmation that the HSE had appointed a design team. We were told that the new hospital would mark the arrival of a 21st century healthcare system. Despite continuous representations, it was not until early 2022 that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, informed me that the project, a 92-bed community nursing unit on the grounds of St. Vincent's, would go to planning in quarter 3 of 2022. It was in September 2023 that planning permission for this new 92-bed unit was eventually granted. During a debate in this House in October of last year, I was informed that a design team had been approved to progress the 7,000 sq. m project and that it would be responsible for bringing the project through the detailed design and tender phases following the grant of permission.

As I have said, St. Vincent's Hospital in Athy has stood on the site since 1844. Today, it is a model of care with the best staff and management families could hope to have to look after their loved ones. I hope the Minister of State will give us some positive updates as to when construction will begin on the hospital and when it will open. Given the urgent need for older persons care, a new hospital in Athy is long overdue. This hospital's reputation spreads far and wide. I hope that, in the Minister of State's reply, the people of Athy and south Kildare will get the good news that construction will commence as quickly as possible on the hospital they have waited so long for.