Caution stressed over Donegal Town's Cleary Centre planned rebiuld

A major rebuild of the Cleary Centre for adults with disabilities could break ground in 2026.

The project is progressing through the detailed design stage and is expected to go out to tender in the final quarter of this year.

Councillor Michael Naughton received an update on the project at the meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, where he stressed to the HSE that the current facilities are inadequate.

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Cllr Naughton stated that staff are working out of a warehouse and waiting more than two years to see any signs of progress.

"Until we see machines on the ground, we won’t believe this will happen," Cllr Naughton said.

The old Cleary Centre in Donegal Town has been closed since 2014. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the former school building served as a temporary test centre for south Donegal.

The new centre will be built on the same site at Drumlonagher. It will feature a variety of indoor and outdoor therapeutic spaces. These will include four large multipurpose rooms with a secure outdoor area, a physio room, a regulation room, and a training kitchen. A laundry room and a large dining area are also planned. For outdoor activities, there will be recreational spaces and a greenhouse.