State-of-the-art €23m community nursing unit confirmed for Tipperary
North Tipperary is set to get a €23million state-of-the-art community nursing unit under plans unveiled by the HSE this week.
The HSE confirmed that the town of Roscrea had been included in the annual capital programme, which will see a new Dean Maxwell community nursing unit built in the town, providing 50 bed spaces.
The new nursing unit will offer a mix of long-term, short stay, respite and palliative care.
The existing Dean Maxwell home will continue in use while the new unit is built, and will be turned into a modern day care centre once the new unit is open.
Five sites in the Roscrea area have been looked at for the new nursing home, with two being deemed as suitable. Negotiations are ongoing for the preferred option, and are in the final stages.
The news was welcomed by north Tipperary TD Michael Lowry, and local councillor, Shane Lee.
Deputy Lowry said that announcements like these make the hard parts of politics worthwhile.
"For me personally, making the difference on such a vital and cherished facility is rewarding and makes the struggle of politics worthwhile,” he said.
"The last healthcare development plan had devastating consequences for Roscrea. Dean Maxwell was to be robbed of 25 of its beds with patients transferred to Nenagh.
"It was a political sell out. At that time, I gave a public commitment to stop this closure. After huge pressure and with the support of the community, we managed to keep this valued and much-loved facility open,” Deputy Lowry said.
The new community nursing unit for Roscrea comes as part of a more than €1.3billion investment by the HSE in 2026.
Councillor Shane Lee said that the news showed that the town had come a long way.
"The wonderful news that we announced absolutely makes every minute of politics worthwhile. From where we started to what we have now achieved is just amazing, lots of engagement, lots of meetings and lots of phone conversations.
"This news could not have come at a better time for our beautiful town.
"On a personal level I want to thank the staff for cooperating with us, trusting in us to deliver for them and their patients, but also the future of this very unique nursing home,” he added.
Both councillor Lee and Deputy Lowry informed staff of the decision, which the Roscrea councillor said went extremely well.
"Both I and Deputy Lowry delivered this news to the staff at Dean Maxwell, to say they were happy would be an understatement,” Cllr Lee said in a statement.
In a statement, Dean Maxwell Families said that the announcement saves older people in the town from the fear of having to move elsewhere for care in their later years.
"We wanted to spare current residents of the home the trauma of being dislodged from their community and scattered far and wide to other nursing homes,” a spokesperson said.
"We also wanted to ensure that our older people who might require residential care in the future would continue to be able to call Roscrea home, with ready access by family and friends in visiting, and their own family GP for their ongoing care.
"Families will be meeting with the HSE in the coming weeks to discuss next steps in making the new home a reality,” the spokesperson added.
The group now want to see continuous engagement with the HSE to make sure the new facility is a home from home for its residents.
"We want to ensure that residents, families and staff continue to be engaged at every step of the process, to ensure that the new facility is a home from home, and that the caring and community ethos of the Dean Maxwell continues to thrive in its new location,” the spokesperson added.
Elsewhere in north Tipperary, Nenagh Hospital has also been approved for an additional 50 beds under the capital plan.
The new unit will replace the existing 25-bed male ward, according to Deputy Lowry.
“Funding estimated at €26million will be included in the capital plan for this project,” he said.
"Design concept is well advanced and the project will be progressed as a priority. The Nenagh unit, together with other additional beds across Limerick and Clare, will assist in alleviating the chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick,” Deputy Lowry added.
"This multimillion euro investment is another milestone in the development and expansion of the hospital,” he said.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that the investments in Roscrea and Nenagh, as well as nationwide, will bring positive changes to people across the country.
"Our investment plans for healthcare in 2026 will bring real benefits to people across the country. We’re investing €1.327billion into new buildings and equipment, showing the Government’s ongoing commitment to better healthcare and increased capacity,” she said.
"By expanding capacity and building the right physical and digital infrastructure, both in hospitals and in communities, we are advancing the Sláintecare vision to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time,” Minister Carroll MacNeill added.
Negotiations on the preferred site for the new 50-bed unit for Roscrea are ongoing, while designs are progressing for the new 50-bed unit in Nenagh.