The HSE has 'no plans' to reopen Sacred Heart chapel

The HSE has confirmed it has no plans to reopen the chapel at the Sacred Heart Hospital.

The chapel’s continued closure for almost two years has led to considerable concern among local politicians and members of the public. The issue was also recently raised at a plenary meeting of Roscommon County Council. When contacted by this paper, the HSE said the chapel at the Sacred Heart Hospital was closed in September 2023.

Speaking to the Herald, a HSE spokesperson said the Fire Regulation Authority identified significant deficits with compartmentation in the workhouse building and the adjoining chapel attached to it.

“The decision was made to clear and separate the workhouse and adjoining chapel from the designated centre. This ensured the designated centre could secure HIQA compliance and allowed the centre to re-open up to admissions.

“At this present time there are no plans to reopen the chapel. The HSE would be open to revisiting the possibility of looking at the restoration of the chapel/workhouse area when work on the current replacement bed project is completed.”

FF TD Dr Martin Daly said that 18 months time, the date for the current project to be completed, is too long. “I understand the concern of the residents, their relatives and friends. This chapel has been used as a place of reflection, respite and worship,” he said, promising to follow up again with the HSE.

FG Senator Gareth Scahill said he has raised this issue with Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. He has been informed that HSE Estates advised the minister’s office that no capital submission has been received for the chapel at the Sacred Heart Hospital. 

The local HSE Estates office have also advised that works on the chapel will likely require significant investment, “as safety/stabilisation work on the chapel will be required in advance of a feasibility study for fire safety works”.

“The chapel is down the list of priorities for the HSE,” said Senator Scahill, “but the people in the home need and deserve to have their chapel.”

He said if the HSE is not prepared to apply for capital funding to restore the chapel, he called on it to apply for funding for temporary accommodation.