Louth senator urges action as Dundalk Primary Care Centre clears planning hurdle

The long-anticipated primary care centre for Dundalk is set to proceed after some delays, according to Fine Gael Senator John McGahon, who recently addressed the Seanad on the matter. The senator highlighted the importance of the project and called for immediate action now that planning permission has been secured.

“The issue I wish to raise concerns the primary care centres throughout the country that we all know work extremely well. I am particularly concerned about the primary care centre in Dundalk,” Senator McGahon said, stressing the importance of the project for the local community.

The new centre is set to be built on the site of the old Carroll Village Shopping Centre that has been unused for over 15 years. Despite facing planning delays due to objections from the previous owners of the site, the project now has the green light following approval from An Bord Pleanála.

“This project is really important,” Senator McGahon explained. “Unfortunately, it was delayed because of objections lodged by the previous owners of the shopping centre. However, planning permission has now been granted by An Bord Pleanála, and the project is going ahead."

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Senator McGahon has called on the Minister for Health to provide a definitive timeline for the commencement of construction, which has already been delayed for six years. “Now that the planning side has resolved, how soon can we see shovels in the ground and construction happening?” he asked.

Once completed, the centre will offer a wide range of services to the Dundalk community. “There will be four primary care teams encompassing public health nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and dietetics,” Senator McGahon said. “There will be a dedicated mental health services team – something that is more important than ever, particularly in Dundalk in recent weeks.”

The facility will also offer adult and children’s disability services, and will require a significant number of staff. “Straight away, there will be a minimum of 50 staff required,” he said. “I would love to be able to have a debate about this matter to find out the HSE's plans for staff recruitment in order to ensure that the centre has the correct number of staff needed.”

“We need those primary care health centres right in the heart of Dundalk town, and I would appreciate the Minister's help on it,” he said.