Welcome breakthrough as site secured for new Cork primary care centre  

A CORK TD has welcomed news of a breakthrough in the development of a local primary care centre.

In response to a parliamentary question from Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, the HSE stated that it has secured a site for a primary care centre in Glanmire.

In a written response to Mr O’Sullivan, the HSE said it intended to lodge a planning application “in Q2 2024”, which would be between April and June of this year.

The HSE said “a preferred solution was identified and a letter of intent issued to a developer in April 2023”.

“Engagement between HSE and the developer’s legal representatives addressed pre-lease enquiries and agreement reached on the draft agreement for lease and service-level agreement for the proposed property transaction,” the HSE stated.

“The site has been secured by the preferred developer and Glanmire will be lodged for planning in Q2 2024, after an extensive pre-planning process with Cork City Council.”

Significant development

The news is a significant development in a process that has been ongoing for a number of years.

“It’s great to get confirmation from the HSE that the primary care centre for the Glanmire area is finally getting the go-ahead,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“It’s been a long and frustrating process, but it’s great that land has been identified and a deal struck with a developer.

“It is fairly imminent. It’s on a site that was previously a brown-field site, so it’s great to see some regeneration in that part of Glanmire.”

Mr O’Sullivan said it was good news for Glanmire and he hoped the new centre, alongside the elective hospital planned for the site of St Stephen’s Hospital, which is now at the design stage, would be part of a wider development for healthcare in the area.

According to Mr O’Sullivan, the greater Glanmire area has a population of between 15,000 and 20,000, and if the facility passes the planning process and construction is completed, the new primary care centre might be taken over by an existing practice, which may then increase the number of its GPs.

Mr O’Sullivan added that he was disappointed that primary care centres in both Blarney and Mayfield had been delayed.

“It is now my priority to make sure that we try and get them back on track as soon as possible,” said Mr O’Sullivan.