This article is from page 8 of the 2006-11-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
AFTER months of speculation, the Health Service Executive has finally given its seal of approval to the €20.8 million development at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Ennis and the project can finally go to planning.
Brian Gilroy, National Director of Estates at the HSE, gave approval for the long-awaited third stage of the project on Wednesday. It allows a detailed design to be completed and the plan to progress to planning permission.
Fianna Fáil Senator Brendan Daly, who gave an ultimatum to the Taoiseach regarding the hospital before being added to the party’s election ticket, described the news as “a key decision” and “very important”.
“It will allay the fears of people in the county that there may be further delays in delivering the plan.”
Minister Micheál Martin announced the funding for the hospital development when he was Minister for Health in 2002.
In 2004, Minister Mary Harney approved the funding and a design team was put in place.
It was hoped that the hospital project would be at planning stage by last summer.
The HSE called for an analysis of the cost of the project last August after it emerged that the first phase, which was allocated €20.8 million, would cost in excess of €30 million.
The increase in cost was a result of changes to hygiene and other requirements in hospitals nationally.