Laois County Councillors are formally writing to the HSE to oversee the upkeep of a local health centre.

Fine Gael Cllr Conor Bergin has requested that the Council contact the HSE to address the paintwork and surface water issues outside the Borris in Ossory health centre.

"The health centre was renovated in 2007, on the Dublin road coming into Borris in Ossory," Cllr Bergin said.

Pictured: Borris in Ossory health centre

"The car park was moved behind, following a fatality on the road a number of years ago unfortunately. I understand that there has been contact made to the HSE with works happening to date," he said.

"It's a busy road, there are a lot of heavy goods vehicles moving through the village. Unfortunately, it was painted a magnolia years ago, and that has all worn down between the weather and traffic. As you come into Borris in Ossory, it's the first thing you see," Cllr Bergin highlighted.

"The Tidy Towns do fantastic work in trying to keep the village looking well, and I know it has been mentioned several times for the health centre to be painted. It's a small request, it's not a request for additional resources that's huge," he said.

"Certainly this is just from an aesthetic point of view, and the HSE own the facility and maintain it. We're just campaigning for a very small request, it would make a big difference coming in to the village, it is something that is regularly remarked to me, and I would like to ask the HSE formally if they can get the works carried out," Cllr Bergin finished.

Mr Rory O'Callaghan, Senior Executive Engineer with Laois County Council, replied that correspondence will issue to the HSE in relation to the painting of the Health Centre.

"The Area Office will look at the public road stormwater element," Mr O'Callaghan said.

Cllr Bergin welcomed this response, with Rathdowney Fine Gael Cllr John King offering to also table a motion for the painting of the building.

Cllr Bergin's motion was seconded by Independent Mountrath Cllr James Kelly. 

"I fully support Cllr Bergin's motion, as Cllr King said he can put a notice of motion through for the painting of it," Cllr Kelly said.

"That's very welcome as well. I remember a number of years ago, outside on the road there the camber of the road means that the water was going across the road as well," he said.

"I remember I had to get some works done there at Murty O'Donnell's house and O'Moore's, if the roads storm water could be addressed on that side of the road as well it would make a huge different to the road safety as well," Cllr Kelly finished.

Fianna Fáil Cllr from Mountmellick, Cllr Paddy Bracken, supported the motion and criticised the HSE's responsiveness.

"I also support this motion, and I hope you had better luck with the HSE than I did in Clonaslee on the alternative car parking facility," Cllr Bracken said.

"That was a motion I tabled and I still have received no response. We didn't get any further on it, it was a very poor response," Cllr Bracken finished. 

This motion was tabled at the October sitting of Laois County Council's Borris in Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District.

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