HSE reveal Laois town's health centre site too small for full services

More than a year since €340,000 was announced as secured to extend a Laois town's health centre so it can offer full facilities to the community, the HSE has announced that the site is too small.

The Health Service Executive has announced this week that a new and bigger site is required to offer Mountrath the full range of health services it requires.

The Laois Minister wants the HSE to ask landowners to get in touch with offers of sites.

In July 2021 the Minister of State in the Department of Finance, Laois TD Sean Fleming, announced that he had secured the money to extend the centre, which he says thousands of people rely upon.

This Friday, August 19 he described as "very good news" the fact that the HSE now say a new site is required to build a completely new Primary Health Care Centre in the town.

"This is very good news for the future of Mountrath and all surrounding areas who require good primary health care facilities which cannot be fully provided in the existing limited Health Centre.

"I have been in contact with the HSE on this issue for quite some time and last year they agreed that the existing Health Centre in Mountrath should be extended and greater services provided at that location.

"However, the HSE have now come back to me to say that it is not possible to provide the full delivery of health services at the existing location because the site has restricted development potential. The HSE are now exploring other sites and locations in Mountrath that could accommodate a new Primary Health Centre." Minister Fleming said.

He said the building is needed urgently.

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"I am now calling on the HSE to progress this proposal as urgently as possible because it is accepted that improved facilities are required in Mountrath which cannot be provided at the current location. I asked them to invite people to put forward sites in the area that could be considered by the HSE regarding their suitability.

"Overall this is good for the future of Health Care Services in the area but until the site has been acquired a timeline cannot be provided in relation to the necessary planning, tendering and construction process.

"The Health Centre in Mountrath has always been very busy and working at full capacity and it is good that a new facility will be in place in the future. I will continue to keep in contact with the HSE and the Department of Health to ensure funding and all resources necessary to bring this to fruition are in place," the Laois Minister said.