Minister for Health impressed with 'phenomenal facilities' in Offaly
Minister was very complimentary of the facilities at Birr Community Nursing Unit
MINISTER for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, visited Birr Community Nursing Unit and the site for the new Primary Care Centre in Birr, while on a visit to Offaly last week where she performed by official opening of the Banagher Primary Care Centre.
The Minister was very complimentary of the facilities at Birr Community Nursing Unit when she spoke to the 'Tribune' later in Banagher.
“It's such a lovely pastoral place and I was delighted that Deputy John Clendennen asked me to come today to Birr and here to open Banagher Primary Care Centre and we're going on to Tullamore to see the location for the new Hospice. It's really important,” the Minister said.
“This is a phenomenal facility in Banagher, the Community Nursing Unit is an excellent facility in Birr. It's a great example of the investment in infrastructure and development, you can see the community atmosphere and the collegiality among colleagues and nowhere is that more true than in a Primary Care Centre where you have so many disciplines coming together and working together. It is a lovely positive day to be here,” she said.
The Minister said she was proud to have Offaly roots. “My father is from Offaly, from Clontarf Road in Tullamore, so it is lovely to be in Offaly at any time but it is a partiuclarly positive day today.”
About 12 months from now the Birr Primary Care Centre should be ready as well. Local TD John Clendennen said “From my perspective as a local TD, it is important to get the Minister to come down and view the projects that are already in the process of being delivered and in the pipeline. Today we saw the Primary Care Centre in Birr, which was long overdue, and I've been an advocate from the very start, and that will be completed in Q1 next year and operational in Q2.
“In terms of Birr Community Nursing Unit we have it in the capital plan for an upgrade from 12 ensuite rooms to 76, and from a palliative care unit perspective in Tullamore, there is a commitment to deliver that. We have a site but I want to respect the planning application process that is currently underway but from my perspective I want to see that delivered, I want to see the planning approved and I want to continue to work with the Minister to ensure that occurs,” said Deputy Clendennen.
Minister Carroll MacNeill added “you can see from the projects that John has been in, that they happen. That is why he identified these to me at an early stage. He was called out here by Dr Velma Harkins who drove this project, and she identified himself and former Senator Pat Moylan as being two key people that assisted and drove this when it was needed.”