Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I commend Senator Conway on raising the issue of haemochromatosis. I have haemochromatosis and I am very aware of the importance of the screening strategy, given so many people are impacted by that disease.

The issue I want to raise concerns the long-running and ongoing saga of the construction of the primary care centre in Gorey, which I have raised on a number of occasions in the House. The primary care centre was first conceived in 2010 or 2011 and planning permission for a particular proposed primary care centre was agreed in August 2018, even though there were specific problems with the site. By May 2021, nothing had happened and Gorey did not see its primary centre, so I raised it as a Commencement matter in the House, having had extensive correspondence with the Department. I was told at the time that everything was proceeding apace, that a developer had appointed a contractor and that construction would be commencing within 12 months. In May 2022, following a back-and-forth of correspondence and with no construction happening, I again raised it as a Commencement matter in the House with the Minister of State's predecessor, Deputy Feighan. Essentially, we got a copy-and-paste answer of what we were told 12 months previously, which was that construction would proceed within 12 months, even though we knew there were ongoing problems with car parking at the particular location indicated. In November 2022, with no further progress, I raised it again as a Commencement matter. I was assured by the HSE in correspondence at the time that this was being treated as a priority.

In early November 2023, I arranged for a meeting between HSE officials, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and me around this issue and to express the frustration of the people in the north Wexford area that the primary care centre project had not moved. The Minister was quite surprised at how long the process was taking but we were reassured at that meeting and the word used was that “imminent” action would be taken. I did not hear anything from the HSE for six weeks so I do not know if six weeks is categorised as “imminent” in the HSE. Nonetheless, in mid-December 2023, I had to raise the issue again in the House and I was told there were still problems around car parking issues at the site, even though people in the locality had indicated this was going to be a problem right back when the planning happened.

In May of this year, the HSE finally relented, accepted what people in the locality had been saying, namely, that the current site is not suitable, and indicated it would again advertise for expressions of interest for a new site.I was told that would happen in quarter 3 or quarter 4 of this year at the latest. As the Minister of State will be aware, quarter 3 has ended. We are into quarter 4, and I still cannot get answers from the HSE as to why this has not happened. My frustration is now giving way to anger because I am not convinced that HSE estates is convinced about the importance of this facility for the interest of patients in the area. Others in the area, particularly Councillor Donal Kenny, have also been regularly raising this issue. The centre is to include a primary care centre but also facilities for a new child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, unit and children's disability network team, CDNT, unit. There seems to be no priority given to this within HSE estates. Why should I have confidence in HSE estates to be able to deliver this facility?

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Before I give my reply on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, I wish to indicate that I fully understand the importance of primary care centres. Where they have been established, they have made a major contribution to local areas in the context of providing comprehensive healthcare. I thank Senator Byrne for raising this matter and for the opportunity to update the House in respect of it.

A central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable a home-first approach. Integral to this is the development of primary care centres across the country in local communities such as Gorey.

Primary care centres form an important part of our healthcare infrastructure, providing a single point of access to primary and community care services for individuals. They also serve as a resource more broadly for the community, creating a focal point for local health initiatives or providing community groups with a place to meet. It is for this reason that the development of primary care centres is an important part of Sláintecare. Significant progress has been made in the delivery of these primary care centres, with 175 now opened to date and a further nine under construction. These primary care centres offer a tangible example of the investment this Government is making in community-based health infrastructure.

The HSE currently operates two centres from which primary care services are delivered in Gorey, namely the Avenue Primary Care Centre and Conal House Primary Care Centre. However, a new primary care centre is planned for Gorey to be delivered by way of the operational lease model. As the Senator will be aware, the HSE had previously advertised and identified a preferred provider for this new centre in Gorey. Unfortunately, an issue regarding the economic viability of the project emerged and the HSE intends to readvertise for new proposals to develop Gorey primary care centre. The Department is aware that the development of the primary care centre in Gorey has been stalled for a considerable amount of time and that this has been frustrating for people in the local area. The HSE has advised the Minister that meetings were held recently with relevant stakeholders and that it has commenced a comprehensive review of the current and forecast service needs for Gorey. The resulting needs assessment will be used as the basis for the readvertisement of this primary care centre, which will take place before the end of this year.

The Minister wishes to assure the Senator that the Government remains committed to both the continued development of primary care centres throughout the country and specifically to the provision of the primary care centre in Gorey.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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In light of past experience, I am concerned that the Minister and the Department are being fobbed off again by HSE estates. The Minister of State will notice that the HSE said it will be advertising before the end of this year. That is obviously different from what I was told to the effect that it would be quarter 3 or quarter 4 at the latest. Our problem is that the HSE acknowledges that it has been stalled, but the reason it has been stalled is because the HSE failed to take action on these issues.

The Minister of State and I know how important primary care centres are. However, knowing all the problems that are there, why is it that HSE estates continually fails the people of Gorey and north Wexford? Consider what would happen if someone was building a house and the person who was developing it had been messing around for 13 or 14 years without a shovel going into the ground - in fact, a contractor has not yet been appointed - would they continue to trust that particular agency? I really have to question whether we can trust HSE estates to deliver on this project.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Minister, I thank Senator Byrne for raising this issue. I acknowledge his commitment. He has been working on this project for quite some time. I commend his involvement in the development of the primary care centre and his continued advocacy on behalf of the people of Gorey.

As I stated in my opening remarks, the HSE has confirmed to the Minister that the Gorey primary care centre will be readvertised in quarter 4 of 2024. It is intended that the publication of the new advertisement will reinvigorate this development and ensure that progress is made in delivering a new primary care centre for the people of Gorey.

The Minister wishes to acknowledge the frustration of both Senator Byrne and the people of Gorey at the delays in the progression of this primary care centre. The Minister is aware that there can in some cases be delays with the development of primary care centres due to a variety of circumstances. However, the Minister wishes to assure the Senator that he and the officials in the Department are actively engaging with the HSE to progress the completion of the new primary care centre, as well as the further development of centres throughout the country.

I am very much aware of the difficulties in the HSE. In my area, a developer got planning for a primary care centre and someone objected. The case went to An Bord Pleanála, which granted planning, and then the objector took the matter to the High Court. At that stage, the developer walked away. Those complications arise as well. In my constituency, for instance, we are targeting the building of three new primary care centres. One very good one has opened in the past 12 months in Ballincollig, which is a really comprehensive service. We have three GP practices in there. We have moved three consultants from the HSE from Cork University Hospital who are providing eye care. A huge level of service is now provided. I understand the importance of this for Gorey.