Nolan vows to maintain pressure to secure Birr primary care centre

Independent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has said that she has once again engaged with the office of the Minister for Health with respect to the delivery of a Primary Care Centre for Birr. Deputy Nolan went on to say that while the commitments she recently obtained from the Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler around the estimated timeframe for when the facility would become operational were welcome; there was a clear need to maintain regular pressure on the HSE to start work on the project at the earliest possible date.

“The delivery of a Primary Care Centre for Birr is one of my key political priorities. That is why I have been consistently highlighting this issue with the Minister for Health in the Dáil and indeed with the HSE for some time now."

She said she had been able, through a series of parliamentary questions, to ascertain clarity on the reasons why the HSE rejected the proposed Rectory site.

She also secured a priority topical issue debate in the Dáil with Minister of State Mary Butler in late November.

"During that debate I emphasised the absence of the MiDoc service for over two years and the failure of government and the HSE to act in a more effective manner in terms of the delivery of the Primary Care Centre in the context of the Slainte Care plan.

"I received a commitment from Minister Butler that the estimated timeframe for when the centre would become operational is the third quarter of 2022.

"While that was certainly welcome, I did make it clear that it would be totally unacceptable to expect the people of Birr and surrounding areas to live with such clear service deficits for a day longer than necessary."

She said she would continue to closely monitor this situation with both the Minister’s office and the HSE and will be seeking regular briefings on the status of the project’s delivery.

"I will not allow the HSE or the department to drop the Birr Primary Care Centre down the list of political priorities,” concluded Deputy Nolan.