Calls for 'standalone' primary care centre for Kildare town

A joint Leixlip-Maynooth primary care centre would be a “de facto” primary care centre for Leixlip, and would not meet the needs of the Maynooth people, a Social Democrats councillor has warned.

Cllr Peter Melrose told a recent municipal district committee there had been previous correspondence from the HSE where the health board had cited “concerns or obstacles” to securing a site specifically serving Maynooth, thus opting to proceed with building a joint primary care centre in Leixlip to serve both towns.

However, Cllr Melrose stated, this argument did not stand, as there are specific areas allocated in the Maynooth LAP for a primary care centre.

Cllr Melrose said he would greatly appreciate the members' support on the issue, as currently the HSE is continuing to progress plans for a large primary care centre for Maynooth and Leixlip, but based in Leixlip, Co Kildare.

This would, he warned, be a “de facto” primary care centre for Leixlip, along with developing the health centre as a satellite hub. While he appreciated the health centre should be upgraded, he said, “that's not sufficient for the town.”

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Supporting the motion, Cllr Tim Durkan (FG) said he did not accept the explanation that the HSE could not find a suitable site for a primary care centre in Maynooth.

The HSE were offered sites, he said, and St Patrick's College in Maynooth were “more than willing” to provide a site.

He said Maynooth has the highest population centre in the county, “and we need the services to support that.”

Cllr Angela Feeney (LAB) said she didn't agree with plans to have a shared primary care centre serving Maynooth and Leixlip, as Maynooth needed it's own standalone facility.

She said Kildare County Council has “played its part” by including primary care centres and garda stations in “Local Area Plan after Local Area Plan”, so she believed it was very important for the council to urge the HSE “to play its part” also.

Cllr Donna Phelan (FF) said her daughter has to travel to Athy to use HSE services, as there are no services available locally, and strongly urged the council to push forward the motion in order that a health centre might be secured.

Also speaking at the meeting, Cllr Dara Fitzpatrick (FF) said he feared “what's coming down the tracks”, as services was going to be one issue that would present problems for councillors with ever-increasing population growth in the county.

It was agreed in council that the local authority write to the Integrated Healthcare Area Manager, HSE Kildare West Wicklow, to ask for an update on the securing of a suitable site for a primary

care centre for Maynooth.