March construction start for Birr Primary Care Centre

Just 12 months after planning permission was granted for a new Primary Care Centre in Birr, work is due to get underway next month on the three-storey development on a site at the rear of the Outdoor Education Centre on the Roscrea road.

Local elected representatives received confirmation of a start date for the long-awaited facility in an email from the HSE earlier this week, with the timeline suggesting that the centre could become operational early in 2026.

Joseph Ruane, Head of Service, HSE Primary Care CHO8, stated that construction is due to begin in March, and will take approximately 18 months to complete.

This will be followed by commissioning and equipping, with the Birr Primary Care Centre expected to be operational from Q1 in 2026.

The news of a definitive date for the commencement of construction works on the health facility at a 3.5 acre site known locally as ‘The Brothers Field’ in Birr has been warmly welcomed by a number of local representatives, including Independent TD, Carol Nolan, who described it as “excellent news.”

Deputy Nolan said she was delighted that a start date has been given for “this badly-needed service for Birr” and pledged to continue working with the Chief Office of the Midlands Louth Meath CHO and Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, to ensure that staffing positions for the new centre are filled prior to its anticipated opening date in 2026.

“We are all aware of the recruitment and retention crisis within the HSE and that is why I remain concerned because the Birr Primary Care Centre is also expected to cater for speech and language therapy in addition to public health, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dental and mental health services,” she said.

The news was also welcomed by Fianna Fail Cllr, Peter Ormond, who said the new centre will allow for services that are “accessible and integrated” and will be staffed by a team of health professionals who will “work closely together to meet the needs of the people of Birr and surrounding areas”. It will also provide “a single point of contact to the health system,” he added, saying that the new base for the ambulance service will be constructed adjacent to the primary care centre.

Deputy Barry Cowen said the new centre will allow for healthcare services and staff to “be in one building” and will complement the services already being provided at birr Community Nursing Unit. “I will continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure that the all necessary services and personnel are in place in the new Primary Centre when construction is complete,” added Deputy Cowen.

Social Democrats Cllr, Claire Claffey, also welcomed the news of the start date for Birr Primary Care Centre and expressed the hope that it would “prompt of the MIDOC service” to the town of Birr, while Fianna Fail local election candidate, Audrey Hennessy Kennedy, also welcomed the announcement and said the new centre will allow all healthcare staff in Birr to “work together in once location and share resources”.

Offaly County Council granted planning permission to BPI Investments, a Portarlington-based company, in March 2023 for the construction of a Primary Care Centre on a site at the rear of the Outdoor Education Centre on the Roscrea Road at Seffin in Birr. The three-storey development spanning 4,060 square metres, makes provision for 807 square metres of GP surgery space, a pharmacy spanning 138 square metres and two consulting rooms totalling 34 square metres.

A two-storey ambulance Base with single storey garage will also form part of the new development, along with 157 car-parking spaces,six motorcycle parking spaces, 50 bicycle spaces, 16 electrical charge points and traffic control barriers for employee parking.

The plan to build a new Primary Care Centre in Birr was first mooted more than a decade ago and has been beset by difficulties ever since, primarily in relation to finding a suitable site to build on. Two sites, at Birr Rugby Club and a Council-owned site at the Rectory Field, were rejected, before the site on the Roscrea road known as ‘The Brothers Field’ behind the Outdoor Education Centre was eventually earmarked for the development.

The full site encompasses 19 acres, but the Primary Care Centre is to be built on 3.5 acres of the site.