Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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We will return to Senator Conway. We proceeded because he was not present and we said we would go back to take his Commencement matter.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Acting Chairperson and welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Over the past 15 to 20 years, there has been speculation around Ennistymon about the provision of a primary healthcare centre.

Ennistymon is located in north Clare, as the Minister of State will be aware. It is near Lahinch, Doolin and other areas where the population balloons when the summer comes. For four or five months of the year, the population in north Clare would be akin to that of a suburban part of Dublin.

Ennis has a primary healthcare centre and there is a second one on the way. There is one being built in east Clare but, really and truly, one is needed in north Clare.

I understand the site has been identified for a primary healthcare centre and what I would like to know from the Minister of State is when it is proposed to move this particular project to design and planning and when can the people of Ennistymon and the surrounding areas expect to have a primary healthcare centre.

The primary healthcare centres that are being built around the country are fantastic. We have a major problem in the mid-west with the emergency department in Limerick hospital. The more primary healthcare centres we have in our area the better. North Clare is a large geographical area. A primary healthcare centre is needed as quickly as possible.

What I hope the Minister of State will be able to do today is give us a timeline as to when can we expect the planning application and the design, when we can expect it to go to tender and when we can expect that a primary healthcare centre will be available for the people in north Clare.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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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.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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This is a welcome reply in the sense that we are moving now to a stage where the primary healthcare centre in Ennistymon will be provided and we are well advanced in the planning and design process.

When does the Minister for Health expect that the primary healthcare centre will be up and running given, as it is acknowledged, there is so much happening in the mid-west?

The primary healthcare centre in Ennis is outstanding so the people of north Clare would be delighted to see this. Certainly, the details in the reply we see here are very positive.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Primary care centres, as mentioned, provide important primary care infrastructure and can support the delivery of integrated care by facilitating closer co-ordination and co-operation between health professionals from across different disciplines.

The Minister will be aware that sometimes there can be delays due to a variety of circumstances with the development of centres in certain locations and wishes to acknowledge the frustration that this can cause for communities. However, following the completion of a review of the operational lease model, it is intended to reactivate a number of previously stalled PCC projects and it is welcome news that updated submissions for Ennistymon primary care centre will be sought in Q2 of this year. Receipt of those updated submissions will allow this long-awaited development to move forward.

I cannot give the Senator any more details on when the next steps will follow. The best I have today is that submissions will be accepted in Q2 this year.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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That is not bad news. I thank the Minister of State and thank the Senator.