Connacht Tribune
HSE readies St Brigid’s for market
The first indication of the HSE’s plans to dispose of the extensive St Brigid’s Hospital campus in Ballinasloe has come with the announcement of plans to appoint a property advisor to the site.
Since its closure ten years ago, the old psychiatric hospital has lain idle while parts of the building has suffered from dilapidation and vandalism.
But now the HSE has confirmed it has now advertised for the services of a professional property advisor to assist with valuation work; provision of strategic advice for disposal of surplus lands and buildings, and to provide expert advice in the assessment of tender proposals.
The news has been welcomed by Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who has raised the issue of the future of St Brigid’s at numerous meetings of the Regional Health Forum of which she is a member.
The Ballinasloe-based councillor has received confirmation from the HSE that it has advertised on e-tenders (the government’s electronic tendering platform) for an external property expert.
This is the first move the HSE have made regarding the St Brigid’s campus which comprises of 182 acres in three separate locations.
There are 25 acres along surrounding the hospital premises, part of which is a protected structure, and this would probably be sold as one lot if the HSE decide to dispose of the property.
Across the road, where the nurses’ home is located, there are a further 62 acres with the remainder of the lands being situated along the Creagh Road which are currently rented out to local farmers.
Cllr Parsons said that she had raised the St Brigid’s ongoing dereliction situation with the HSE and now welcomes the first real commitment to the disposal of the property.
“It’s the first step but an important one in a lengthy process which I hope will reap great benefits for the Ballinasloe area.
“I previously obtained welcome confirmation that the HSE will be retaining existing health facilities currently in operation.
“But I also hope that some of the land will be retained for the development of a Primary Care Centre and new ambulance base,” added Cllr Parsons.
The hospital was constructed in 1833 and opened as the Connacht Asylum and over the years, it was known by several different names. During the 1950s, it accommodated some 2,000 psychiatric patients.
The property advisor will value each of three sections of the St Brigid’s campus and it will most likely be sold in three different lots.
“While the land and building portfolio will stimulate private developer interest, I believe the process first allows the opportunity for sufficient state lands to be retained to meet the future needs of the public,” said Cllr Parsons.
“It is ironic that despite there being such a sizeable HSE property asset in Ballinasloe that there are limited existing clinical facilities in the town. The current derelict state of the striking buildings is dragging down the image of the entire town,” Cllr Parsons added.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
