€2m podiatry clinic lying idle since completion

A brand new building for the treatment of feet problems in Galway, which cost more than €2 million to construct, is lying idle for the past year, it has emerged.

The purpose built podiatry clinic on the grounds of Merlin Park Hospital was completed in 2014 but has not opened because there is no equipment or staff in place.

The issue was highlighted by Galway City Councillor Pádraig Conneely (FG) as the latest HSE West Regional Health Forum meeting.

Cllr Conneely demanded to know why a “state-of-the-art” clinic, which was built at a huge cost to the taxpayer, was lying empty.

He said the fact that it was unused and unopened was “typical of the HSE”.

“I visited it this morning. It is all closed up, unopened, unused. It was built in 2014 at a cost of over €2 million. It is a lovely building but it is all closed up.

“This is typical of HSE management – a state-of-the-art building built at a cost of more than €2 million and it’s lying idle, with no equipment and no staff in place. What’s the point in building it if it’s just going to be lying idle. It doesn’t make sense,” said Cllr Conneely.

John Hayes, HSE Chief Officer, North Western Area, told the meeting that the HSE’s estates department is “currently completing the final account with the building contractor.”

Mr Hayes added: “An application for funding for equipment was made in January 2015 and we are awaiting approval for this. When it is received, the equipment will be purchased by national procurement, a process which usually takes about eight weeks to complete.

“There are no staffing implications in respect of this project. Surgical procedures services will be provided with the existing staff complement.”

Cllr Conneely wondered why the HSE didn’t apply for funding sooner than January, given that it was known that the construction of the building was on course for completion in 2014.

The elected representative claimed that nothing had happened regarding this issue until he put down a question on the agenda at the forum.