Council shows interest in former health centre
NEW information on the HSE’s abandoned health care centre in Camolin was discussed in the Senate recently as Wexford County Council have expressed an interest in bringing it back into use.
Senator Malcolm Byrne made a statement on the on the total number of vacant or derelict properties nationwide in the ownership or possession of the Department of Health or the HSE at the Senate on Thursday, April 11.
He referred to the health care centre in Camolin, County Wexford as a prime example of this as it has not been in use since it closed in 2014. Senator Byrne went on to list the little progress that has been made with this building in the ten years since it closed. In 2018, the HSE announced that it was going to offer it to other agencies but then in 2020, an issue arose with the title of the building. At the end of 2022, Senator Byrne raised this matter at the Senate but was told that as none of the local agencies or the local authority had an interest, the building would potentially be used to house Ukrainian families.
“The Minister of State will appreciate, given his brief, the importance of these buildings being available for that purpose. At that time, it was welcomed by the local community because it wanted to see the building finally put to use, with the hope that, in the long term, it would revert to the local community as a community building. The HSE again did nothing,” said Senator Byrne.
Senator Byrne met with HSE representatives in November, 2023 because of its failure regarding a number of projects in north Wexford, including derelict buildings. At this meeting, the HSE indicated that this matter would be addressed as a priority.
“Since that meeting in November, I have been trying to get an update from HSE estates on what is happening with that building. There has been some remedial work carried out at the building but there is still nobody inside it,” said Senator Byrne.
Senator Byrne stated that he has no confidence in the area of the HSE who look after buildings as there is no evidence to suggest any strategy to address this issue.
Deputy Joe O’Brien responded to Senator Byrne’s commencement matter and outlined the HSE’s protocols for the disposal of properties surplus to health requirements. When a HSE property is vacated it must be established if it is surplus to health requirements by engaging with other HSE services to establish if they have a need for the property in question. After it is decided the property is surplus to requirements, a process is carried out. Firstly, the properties are offered to the Land Development Agency, LDA, and then other State entities listed on the State property register. The property is placed on the open market, if there is no interest expressed by other State entities.
Deputy O’Brien highlighted that the HSE has a total of 183 vacant properties as of February 29, 2024. He went on to explain that 90 of these properties are surplus to the HSE’s requirements and are in various stages of disposal, 32 are vacant and under review, and are being considered for retention and reuse by health care services or disposal.
61 are retained assets, which means the properties are vacant and have been retained for various reasons. Decisions in respect of such properties are informed by HSE service management, based on an understanding of current or future healthcare service needs in the relevant area.
Furthermore, the health care centre in Camolin is surplus to HSE requirements and HSE capital and estates have reviewed the title of the property and intends to dispose of it in line with its existing property protocols.
He said Wexford County Council (WCC) has expressed an interest in this property and is actively seeking funding to bring it back into use, with a decision expected in the next few months.
If WCC decided not to acquire this property, and no other State stakeholder express interest, the HSE will then place it on the open market in line with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Circular 17/2016 and HSE property protocols. Senator Byrne said it was unacceptable that the healthcare centre in Camolin had been left vacant for the last ten years and stated that the HSE estates are not treating this matter with enough urgency. He was also surprised to learn that Wexford County Council were now expressing interest in this property as they were not the last time he raised this matter.