Primary care centre for New Ross further away than ever following latest HSE update – ‘We’re not even at square one’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The planned primary care centre for New Ross is now not “even near square one” after the HSE confirmed it will be Q3 of this year before tenders for the project will be invited. Responding to a query from local councillor Michael Sheehan, a spokesperson for the HSE said that, following its withdrawal from the previous project, a “full review of the current and future service needs was undertaken with relevant stakeholders”.

“The need for a new Primary Care Centre in New Ross had been identified previously,” read the statement. “A selection process had been undertaken, and a preferred provider had been selected. Unfortunately, the selected preferred provider encountered difficulties regarding the economic viability of the proposed project. The HSE recently withdrew from that process.

“The HSE has re-advertised New Ross Primary Care Centre (and) is seeking expressions of interest from interested parties, to enter into the two-step procurement process, in delivering a Primary Care Centre via the HSE's Operational Lease. There are a number of stakeholders and services who require accommodation in the new proposed Primary Care Centre and a scope is being identified based on all updated service requirements and a Schedule of Accommodation is being finalised.

“Once this information has been provided and confirmed by all the respective stakeholders - anticipated in Quarter 3 2025; HSE Capital and Estates will then be in a position to progress with the advertisement on the E-Tenders Procurement Platform.”

Reacting to this update, Cllr Sheehan said New Ross was further away than ever from having its own primary care centre and that those living in the area would have to continue to travel across the south east for vital services.

Cllr. Michael Sheehan. Photo;Mary Browne

“Not only are we back to square one, we’re not even near square one at the moment,” he said. “This is a huge step backwards, I know local developers have made submissions and made contact with the HSE about prime sites that they own and would develop in consultation with the HSE, and they have heard nothing back. They haven’t even received an acknowledgement.

“I want a face to face meeting with whoever’s in charge of this to figure out what the hell we can do to put this together. This has been 20 years in the offing and the reason we’re back behind square one is because so many additional services have been added on that it’s become financially unviable.”

Given that the HSE won’t be advertising the project for prospective developers until later this year, Cllr Sheehan said he expects it will be “late 2026” before all the tenders are received.

“God knows how the economy will be by then, what the costs will be,” he said. “And in the meantime Graiguenamanagh, Youghal, Enniscorthy have fantastic centres, Gorey is ahead of us, and we have nothing. The HSE has to decide it’s going to do this and get on with the process, we shouldn’t have to wait until November to find out what health services we need, we don’t have adolescent services, children’s services, geriatric care for older people, and there are perfectly good sites in the middle of New Ross which could be converted quite easily into a primary care site.”

Arguing that these services should be available for people in their home town, Cllr Sheehan said he would be doing his “damnedest to make sure we get this as quick as we can”.

"I’ve reached out to the Minister for Health and the regional representatives from the HSE; although the last time I met with them they said they were doing their due diligence on the previous plan, but we all knew at the time it was going to fail.”