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Friday 19/08/2011

On Friday the19th of August, the Minister for Health signed the 'Letter of Sanction' for Kenmare Hospital. This is a result of the legally binding agreement that I helped to negotiate between the Contractor and the HSE. This legally binding agreement, secured on the 3rd of December 2010, resulted in the Minister being unable to cut funding for the Kenmare project despite querying the necessity for a new hospital. For the last month the letters of sanction relating to Kenmare and other building projects have been on his desk awaiting his signature. Glenbeigh construction have infomed me that they have lodged the building commencement notice to Kerry County Council. Once 14 days have passed from the lodging of the commencement notice, the company will begin preparatory works on the site.

It will take 70 weeks to complete the construction stage on this €7,377,000 million euro project. There will be nearly 200 workers needed in the building of the new hospital. Glenbeigh construction have agreed to my request that as many people in the local area as possible be employed on the project.  All interested sub-contractors can contact me with regard to meeting the project manager for the new hospital. Any sub-contractors employed will however have to comply with the Government’s criteria for public projects, for example pension provisions, tax clearance etc.

As this is a hospital for the entire community, I have asked Glenbeigh construction and their architect to attend a public meeting where any questions in relation to the hopsital would be answered. One of the issues to be discussed at this public meeting are those surrounding the future of the old hospital. Initally, most of the old hopsital was to be retained, but there is now a proposal to demolish the entire structure. The local community's ideas on what is best for the area would be discussed at this meeting.

At my suggestion, Glenbeigh Construction will host a lunch for the members of the Hospital action committee. I wish to praise the efforts of Una O’Neill, Michael Harrington, Richard Doran, Mary Fitzgerald, Maeve O’Sullivan, Mairéad Doyle, Bertie McSwiney, and all the Doctors in the area and the many others who have supported this campaign over the years. Their commitment over 36 years has ensured that we will get our new hospital.