Tubber projects need progressing
TUBBERCURRY has been in need of critical capital infrastructure for years, according to independent General Election candidate, John Perry (pictured).
He says the south Sligo town badly needs a new primary care centre and Garda Station.
“All we have got is lip service from successive Governments and ministers with responsibility in these areas and countless standard answers, but no progress.
“It’s high time that Tubbercurry received these critical infrastructure upgrades and delivered in state of the art buildings. It’s been a total state of neglect, lip service, no action. It needs to end,” said Perry.
He stressed that there have been too many false dawns and stop start announcements for a new primary care centre in the town.
“I have lost count of the amount of times that the centre had completed the stage one design process and was moving to stage two for further design and funding consideration.
“These announcements about moving the project to various stages have been nothing less than frustrating. The HSE and the incoming Government must give a clearly defined strategy and timeframe for the primary care centre development and end the false dawns.”
The independent candidate added: “We have witnessed the successful delivery of primary care centres at different locations across the country that allow for the provision of more available services and there is no reason why Tubbercurry and the surrounding localities cannot benefit from the same.
“A modern primary care centre is long overdue for Tubbercurry. The present centre is doing the best that is possible for the people of the locality and I commend the staff for delivering the best service that they can from the resources available. The HSE need to move on this development, I will strongly lobby to bring this to a successful project,” said Perry.
He pointed out that the most recent census in 2016 showed Tubbercurry remained as the County’s second largest town.
“That census showed Tubbercurry experienced growth of 13.7 % between 2011 and 2016, so I ask the question, why is it that the town does not have a full time Garda Station ? “Again, calls from myself and other public representatives have fallen on deaf ears. We have all put forward various options and still Gardai in the town are working in outdated conditions.
“It is a very small facility with a large service area. I previously put forward proposals to relocate the Garda Station in the town to more appropriate spacious surroundings. “I understand that in the region of ten Gardai are working from the station on limited opening hours.
“It’s just not good enough as we enter another decade and it’s not fair on the staff in such a busy station servicing a large population. The Government, the Office of Public works and the Garda Estate Management have failed to bring plans forward,” claimed Perry.
The former Fine Gael TD added: “The people of Tubbercurry and the surrounding areas deserve better, an out of hours public access call box is not satisfactory for the county’s second largest town.
“A sixty year old building is not fit for purpose and is no way suitable for staff to carry out their day to day duties. I will be prioritising these capital projects for Tubbercurry.”