Delays push cost of Cork nursing home upgrade up to €10m

The cost of upgrading a northside nursing home is expected to be €10m, the HSE has said, amid delays.

After the 60-bed extension to the Heather House Community Nursing Unit was built, a project was undertaken to provide a dementia unit on the ground floor. Works on the unit commenced in March 2024, and were completed last September.

Upon completion, a phase-two refurbishment commenced on the first floor at the start of February. The completion date for this project is October 31.

A HSE spokesperson said that the projected total cost of the works is €10.69m, which includes design-team fees and vat.

The information was provided to Ken O’Flynn, an Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central, who asked about delays to the project.

The HSE had told The Echo last August that the beds in Heather House were expected to come on stream before the end of 2025; but earlier this month it told fellow TD for the region, Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould, that “minor works” were needed before Hiqa will allow the centre to amend its registration to include the dementia beds.

The HSE told Mr O’Flynn: 

“The prolongation of the project is due to issues found during the works of the refurbishment for the said facility ward conversion. This, in turn, necessitates additional works.”

He told The Echo that the delays raise serious concerns about planning, oversight, and cost control in the delivery of essential healthcare infrastructure.

“Heather House is not just a construction project,” he said. “It is a home for vulnerable older people, many living with dementia. Any delay or disruption carries real consequences for residents, families, and staff.”