Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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It is lovely to see the Minister of State here. I wish to raise a very serious issue for the people of Kanturk and the wider north Cork area, that is, the ongoing delay and uncertainty surrounding the delivery of the Kanturk primary healthcare centre. This project has been promised for the community for a long time - years, in fact. The closure of SouthDoc in Kanturk in 2023 was justified explicitly on the basis that the community would get a healthcare facility. The closure forced patients - older people, vulnerable people, people with sick families and ill children - to travel to Mallow. Some do not have access to cars, and the public transport system in rural Ireland is not great. At the time, the then Minister, Stephen Donnelly, gave assurances that the new primary care centre would be a solution. The message to the people of Kanturk at the time was that they had to wait, everything would happen, and the process and the new centre would be there to meet their needs.

The people of Kanturk waited patiently, but just over a week ago we learned that the developer had pulled out of the project. The people of Kanturk have been let down once again. There are no timelines, there is no clarity and there is no replacement plan in place, so people are anxious, as the Minister of State can imagine. It is just more and more disappointment for a community that has already paid a huge price for its healthcare. The building is not just about a building; the fundamental lack of healthcare infrastructure in rural Ireland is the bigger problem. The question is how rural Ireland and rural communities are consistently expected to do more with less - to travel further, to wait longer and to accept decisions without any consultation or transparency. We often talk in this House about health inequalities. Here is a real-life example happening in front of us, right this second. Urban centres are expanding their services while towns like Kanturk and other rural areas are losing the few healthcare services they have left.

I ask the Minister of State to clarify the following. Why did the developer pull out of this project? What engagement has the HSE or the Department had with the developer or even alternative partners for this project? What immediate steps are being taken to ensure that the people of Kanturk are not abandoned and that the healthcare facility will actually be provided? We have to be honest: if this were an urban area, the service would be already up and running, but because it is Kanturk and it is rural, it is put on the back burner once again. The people of Kanturk deserve this centre. They have waited so long for a healthcare facility like this. The healthcare they need must be local, accessible and reliable.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I await her response.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I am a big believer in health facilities, care facilities or what we sometimes call injury clinics around the country. I am a big fan of those, in particular in rural areas. They are definitely needed and they are a great way for people to be able to come together in communities and have the services they need.

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank Senator Ryan for raising it and for the opportunity to update the House.

A central objective of the programme for Government is to deliver increased levels of integrated healthcare with service delivery, redirected towards general practice, primary care and community-based services to enable what is called a home-first approach. Integral to this is the development of primary care centres across the country in local communities such as Kanturk. What the Senator said is 100% right: it is vital to have such centres in rural parts of the country. 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 a huge part of our Sláintecare remit. Significant progress has been made in the delivery of these primary care centres, with 179 now open and a further five under construction. The centres offer a tangible example of the investment the Government is making in community-based health infrastructure.

A new primary care centre is planned for Kanturk and will be delivered by way of an optional lease model. The Senator will be aware that the HSE had previously advertised and identified a preferred developer for this new centre in Kanturk and the planning permission had been secured. Unfortunately, this preferred developer recently withdrew from the project, primarily due to increases in building costs. As a result, the HSE intends to readvertise for a new proposal to develop Kanturk primary care centre. This is what is happening now with the primary care centre. The HSE advises that the readvertisement of the primary care centre on the eTenders procurement platform is expected to take place in the coming weeks. This is the first step in the procurement process.

The Minister fully understands and recognises that this is a disappointing development at this stage. I can see that it is very disappointing and is frustrating for the people in the local area who have been awaiting the centre for some time. Unfortunately, in order to proceed the project will need to be readvertised. It is, however, welcome news that the HSE is progressing with the Kanturk primary care centre and is going ahead with the readvertisement process.

The Minister wishes to assure the Senator that the Government remains committed to the continued development of primary care centres throughout the country and, specifically, the provision of a primary care centre in Kanturk. That is what is happening now.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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The news is welcome that Kanturk will eventually get a primary care centre. The issue, however, is that the people of Kanturk still have no out-of-hours service or primary care centre. A building in the middle of Kanturk that could be used as an interim centre for out-of-hours care has been identified. Equally, I have been contacted by a developer who is interested in this kind of project. I would really welcome the opportunity to work with the Department to see how we can progress this and to engage with the community to let them know what is happening. They do need some kind of out-of-hours service. While this building in the middle of Kanturk is not the end goal of course, it could be used between now and when the primary care centre is built.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. I understand the need involved. Even on the basis of the most recent census, we can see the way the population is growing. It is important that we have the services in place. Unfortunately, from time to time, there can be delays within the development of primary care centres. There were a variety of circumstances in this instance, including the withdrawal of the developer. That sometimes happens. The HSE can confirm that the readvertisement of the Kanturk primary care centre is expected to progress in the next few weeks.

When the project relating to Kanturk primary care centre is readvertised under the open competition – namely, where one must advertise and go through the normal process – the HSE will again evaluate submissions under the set criteria. As always, any selected proposal will be subject to the normal HSE approval process. All aspects will have to be examined, as the Senator is aware. The Minister wishes to assure the Senator that she, her officials and the Department will continue to engage with the HSE to progress both the completion of this new primary care centre and the further development of such centres throughout the country.

Given what the Senator said about engaging, perhaps she could talk to the Department and the HSE to see if something can happen in the meantime in order that some sort of solution might be arrived at. I will communicate what she said t the Minister and her Department. I am sure someone will come back to the Senator on the matter. I thank her so much for raising this matter.