Work to commence on multi million upgrade of Longford's St Joseph’s Care Centre
'The biggest single investment in St Joseph’s in recent times'
Work is due to commence on a multi million upgrade of St Joseph’s Care Centre campus on the Dublin Road in Longford by the end of the summer.
Cllr Peggy Nolan welcomed the announcement of the significant commitments to increase and improve facilitates at St Joseph’s.
This included confirmation of a 48 bed facility, bringing to a total of 68 beds with construction starting this August, approval for a second palliative care bed and provision for a new 9 bed high support hostel with single rooms on the Dublin Road.
“Throughout my political life, I have supported and advocated to increase the facilities available to the people of Longford at the campus,” she said.
“I have worked with Senator Micheál Carrigy since his election to Seanad Eireann to lobby Government colleagues to support this valued asset for all the citizens of our county,” Cllr Nolan added.
In welcoming the news for St Joseph’s, Deputy Joe Flaherty also outlined that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has agreed to a second hospice / palliative care bed for the Longford site.
“This project will proceed in tandem with the biggest single investment in St Joseph’s in recent times,” added Deputy Flaherty.
Deputy Flaherty also expressed delight that the plan includes money for the appraisal of the development of a new nine bed high support hostel (all single rooms en-suite) to be built on a HSE site on the Dublin Rd, Longford. This unit will replace the existing Ashford House High Support Hostel, also Longford town.
In 2022, €3.1 million in funding for county Longford was announced under the HSE Capital Plan.
The funding was part of the HSE’s €1.02 Billion Capital Plan for 2022.
In 2021, Longford County Council had given the green light for the development of a multi million euro 43 bed development at St. Joseph’s Care Centre.
In 2017, then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, announced a multi-million euro refurbishment of St Joseph’s Care Centre.
The St Joseph Campus was also originally looked at as a possible site for an Acquired Brain Injury centre. In 2017, Longford was the only county to have submitted a business plan for such a centre.