Gormley criticises HSE over site sale

THE HSE has been accused of putting profit before the lives of young children.

A Sligo Councillor claims the HSE wants €40,000 for a site it had previously agreed to sell to the Department of Education for €100 in 2011.

The piece of unused land could be used as a safe drop-off point for the Holy Family National School in Tubbercurry

Councillor Margaret Gormley said: “I am shocked to learn the HSE will dispose of the property at a price of €40,000.

“Children’s lives are at risk here.”

Councillor Gormley said safety was a “major concern” at the school because there was no set down/ parking area.

She described the situation as “absolute mayhem” at times.

She said: “There’s no disabled space to help facilitate one child with special needs attending the school.”

Councillor Gormley recalled: “In November 2011, the HSE informed me it was willing to make the lands available to the Department of Education for a nominal fee of €100.

“Despite repeated requests to the Minister for Education and his Department, they refused to take up the offer.”

Councillor Gormley added: “In December, a request was to the HSE to enter into negotiations with the school authorities and have the land transferred for the nominal €100 fee.”

“The HSE is now demanding €40,000 when lives were at stake. How they came to the figure beats me.

In a statement, the HSE said it facilitated Holy Family NS by agreeing to transfer some of its land to the Department of Education to facilitate the school’s expansion.

The proposal to transfer the HSE’s land to the Department of Education retained the asset in State ownership but enabled the school to address its requirements for parking, it added.

The statement said: “The HSE was happy to facilitate this request with a nominal purchase price in order to validate the contractual transfer to another State entity.”

The HSE said its obligation, in the event of property transferring out of State ownership, was to obtain “fair market value” for the asset.