Mayo council candidate says HSE must not walk away from Ballyhaunis care centre

A FINE Gael candidate based in Ballyhaunis has called on the HSE not to walk away from the town's primary care centre and confirm their commitment to the project.

Local Election candidate Alma Gallagher said the lack of progress on the project was a major concern for the local community especially after recent media reports suggesting the HSE will move on from some primary care centre developments currently under development around the country.

“The HSE must not walk away from the Ballyhaunis Primary Care Centre as it is vital for the future healthcare of the community in the area,” said local election candidate Alma Gallagher.

She said the local community in Ballyhaunis and the surrounding area are already concerned about the project, with the development having gone 'over 1,000 days without progress'.

Work on building the centre began in 2020 but stopped abruptly ahead at the May Bank Holiday weekend in 2021.

The Ballyhaunis Primary Care Centre is situated next to Hazelhill Family Practice, located on the Knock Road in Ballyhaunis and Ms Gallagher said everyone has been left in the dark as to what is happening.

“We’ve now gone over 1,000 days without progress on the construction of Ballyhaunis Primary Care Centre, and there are no signs that will change any time soon,” said Ms Gallagher. “Since May 2021 there has been little to no information provided about the status of this project and when it will be completed. The HSE has said next to nothing and the developers have said nothing. I believe even the neighbouring Hazelhill Family Practice has been left in the dark.

“Now there are further question marks about whether the HSE is getting ready to walk away from some of the primary care centre projects currently under development around the country. Apparently this is due to certain developers insisting the rents they originally agreed for these projects are no longer viable.

“This is a vital project for Ballyhaunis and the surrounding area. It simply has to be delivered for the good of healthcare in the locality. The delays have been a source of considerable concern to the local community. So I am calling on the HSE to publicly confirm their commitment to the development of Ballyhaunis Primary Care Centre and to get this project moving again,” Ms. Gallagher concluded.

Ms Gallagher is a first-time candidate for Fine Gael, aiming to become the first woman ever elected in the Claremorris Electoral Area and succeed long-standing Ballyhaunis Fine Gael councillor John Cribbin who steps down in June.

She works as a manager with Clar ICH in Claremorris, where she has been involved in the delivery and management of 70 houses and the retrofitting of 4,000 homes and businesses.

Based in Ballyhaunis, she is also an executive member of Ballyhaunis GAA, Director of Ballyhaunis Community Council and a member of the Ballyhaunis Sustainable Energy Committee.