This article is from page 1 of the 2006-07-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 1 JPG
ENNIS General Hospital’s long- awaited upgrade is facing a multimillion euro shortfall that could set the project back significantly.
Sources close to the Department of Health have told The Clare People that as much as €16 million will be required to fit out the state-of-theart extension, while further money will have to be found to cover the increase in building costs since the project was first announced.
Questions have now emerged as to who will pay the multi-million euro bill.
€20.8 million has been allocated to the project by the Department of Health, but it has since emerged that this will not cover equipment, or the extra staff required as a result of the upgrade. Recent regulations on hygiene and disease control have also added to the spiralling cost.
Similar projects around the country have shown that the huge tab will more than likely have to be picked up by the HSE.
The project, which was due to go to planning in mid-summer, has already been delayed and could be delayed even further if the funding issue cannot be resolved.
The design for the first phase of the hospital redevelopment has been with the financial director of the HSE in Naas for almost two months.
A meeting has been scheduled between the local hospital network and the financial department of the HSE to discuss this latest difficulty.
While refusing to comment on the agenda for the meeting, a spokesperson for the HSE said there was a number of issues to be ironed out.
Clare’s junior minister Tony Killeen said that he was aware that there were “concerns at senior level of the HSE at the cost implications of fitting out the new building, particularly in light of the modernisation which would be required.”
“It is in everybody’s interest that the building be kitted out to the highest possible standard and that it be available on completion.”
He said he had spoken with the Tánaiste on the matter and “she undertook to pursue the matter”.