Buncrana Community Hospital redevelopment delayed again as tender award pushed back

Construction of the long-awaited redevelopment of Buncrana Community Hospital has been delayed once again, with the HSE confirming that tenders have still not been formally awarded.

The update comes weeks after the major redevelopment project finally went to tender in July, raising hopes that work could begin on site before the end of the year.

However, in an email to Inishowen councillors, the HSE has now confirmed that the tender return date was recently extended to allow more contractors to submit bids.

“The tender return date was recently extended to ensure the maximum number of submissions are received and to support a robust and competitive process that delivers best value,” the HSE said in its statement.

The HSE said tender returns are now due back shortly, after which a formal review and evaluation process will take place.

However, the health service stressed that it cannot provide details of the bids received or the evaluation process while the procurement process remains commercially sensitive.

“This is necessary to protect the integrity and fairness of the procurement process and to ensure that all tenderers are treated appropriately and in accordance with procurement requirements,” the HSE said.

The latest development means that the return of the tenders will not immediately lead to a contractor being appointed.

Following the evaluation of the submissions, the necessary approvals must also be obtained before a statutory standstill period is observed.

Only after that process has been completed can a formal appointment of a contractor take place.

The HSE said it will provide a further update once the procurement process has been completed and a contractor has been formally appointed.

The latest delay will come as a disappointment to the local community, following years of uncertainty surrounding the future redevelopment of Buncrana Community Hospital.

The project finally went to tender in the second week of July, with the move previously described as a significant breakthrough after repeated delays.

The redevelopment will provide 30 single-occupancy, fully HIQA-compliant bedrooms, including a six-bed extension, as well as a modern refurbished kitchen and upgraded day rooms and visitor facilities.

When the tender was initially issued, Minister of State Charlie McConalogue said the tendering process was expected to take between six and eight weeks, while local representatives had expressed hopes that a contractor could be appointed later in the year.

At the time, South Inishowen Councillor Fionán Bradley said he believed there was “every possibility” that the community's Christmas present could be diggers on site around late November or early December.

The latest HSE update, however, indicates that further stages of the procurement process must now be completed before construction can begin, and more than likely it will be 2027 before diggers are on site.

The project has been the subject of sustained campaigning by local public representatives, residents and families, with repeated calls for the redevelopment to move from plans and paperwork to construction.

The HSE has not indicated a revised date for the appointment of a contractor or the commencement of construction.

For now, the next milestone will be the return and evaluation of the tenders, followed by the required approvals and statutory standstill period.

After years of waiting, the community is once again being asked to wait a little longer before work can finally begin on the long-promised redevelopment of Buncrana Community Hospital.