Work remains to be done on Ballagh Primary Care Centre project, says Scahill
Suggestions of an imminent announcement on a new site for the Ballaghaderreen Primary Care Centre are premature, Senator Gareth Scahill has said.
The Fine Gael politician said that while significant progress has been made on the project, he cautioned that much work remained to be done.
Senator Scahill said he has been in regular contact with the HSE regarding the project and has been working closely with local councillors Micheál Frain and Liam Callaghan to keep pressure on for the delivery of the facility.
“There is positive news here. The HSE has made significant progress in identifying a site for the new primary care centre and, following the evaluation process, a preferred site has been identified,” he said.
“However, I want to be clear with people in Ballaghaderreen that identifying a preferred site is not the same as having a completed agreement to purchase that site. There are still important steps that have to be completed before the HSE is in a position to make a final public announcement.” He acknowledged that plans for the PCC suffered a major setback in early 2025 when the developer previously selected to deliver the project confirmed they were no longer in a position to proceed. The HSE then reviewed its options and, in December 2025, sought expressions of interest for suitable sites of approximately 1.5 to 3.5 acres in or close to Ballaghaderreen. A number of sites were subsequently submitted and assessed by the HSE.
“The evaluation has identified a preferred site along with alternative options. All applicants must now be informed of the outcome of that process and provided with the appropriate feedback.
“There are then further steps around valuation, approval and ultimately the acquisition of the site, before any purchase can be completed,” he said.
Senator Scahill said reports of an “imminent announcement”, before applicants had received feedback, “risked causing unnecessary concern and creating unrealistic expectations in the community”.
“I would love to be able to say that an announcement is only days or weeks away, but after the history of this project I think the people of Ballaghaderreen deserve accuracy rather than another timeline that may not be met.
“This should not take away from the progress that has been made. We have gone from the very significant setback of losing the previous developer to having a number of potential sites assessed and a preferred option emerging.
“The priority now has to be getting the remaining process completed properly and as quickly as possible,” Senator Scahill said. “Ballaghaderreen has waited far too long for this primary care centre. The town and the wider community need it, and nobody wants to see further unnecessary delays.
“My message to the people of Ballaghaderreen is that the project is progressing, significant work has been completed and I will continue to press the HSE to move through the remaining stages as quickly as possible.
“We have made progress, but the job is not finished. The focus now must be on securing the site and moving this long-awaited primary care centre towards delivery.”
