Offaly TD demands answers on Midlands Hospice status and Birr water outages

Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Tony McCormack has expressed serious frustration at the failure of the HSE and Uisce Éireann to provide clear answers on two major issues affecting the county.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on Infrastructure and National Development Plan Delivery, Deputy McCormack criticised the responses received from both organisations after they had been asked to provide further information on the Midlands Hospice project in Tullamore and ongoing water supply problems in Birr.

“When these organisations appeared before our committee, we asked specific questions and requested further information. What came back was a fudge. We received responses, but very little in the way of actual answers,” Deputy McCormack said.

The TD said the issues highlighted a wider concern about accountability and delivery of publicly-funded infrastructure projects.

The estimated cost of the Midlands Hospice project in Tullamore has risen from an original €24 million to approximately €40 million. Despite planning permission having been secured, the project has returned to a design review in an effort to reduce costs.

“This hospice is badly needed, not just for Tullamore or Offaly, but for families right across the Midlands. We have spent years working to get this project to construction stage, and now we find ourselves looking at another design exercise because of escalating costs.

“I fully understand the importance of getting value for taxpayers' money, but there is also a cost to delay. Every year we wait, construction costs can rise further, and families across the Midlands are left waiting for a facility they desperately need.

“I have said it before and I will say it again. The cheapest time to build was yesterday. The next cheapest time is today.”

Deputy McCormack also raised concerns about the ongoing water outages in Birr, particularly in light of the significant investment already made in the town's water infrastructure.

“Approximately €10 million has been invested in water infrastructure in Birr, yet households and businesses continue to experience serious interruptions to their supply.

“When public money is invested on that scale, people are entitled to expect a reliable service. If problems remain, Uisce Éireann needs to explain clearly why they are happening, what work is required and when residents can expect a lasting solution.

“Instead, we are left seeking answers to questions that should have been addressed in the first place,” he concluded.