HSE slammed over decision not to rebuild treatment unit

The management of the HSE has been called into question by a city councillor over a decision not to rebuild the community drug and alcohol treatment centre in Merlin Park.

The centre was burned to the ground in an arson attack in September 2013.

However, Independent councillor Declan McDonnell said a decision had been taken by the HSE not to rebuild the unit.

At the July meeting of Galway City Council, he said it was “very disturbing” that the compensation paid to the HSE following the fire, yet the unit would not be rebuilt.

“To find they’ve taken the money out of a fire claim to alleviate their own problems is not the right decision.

“If you have to substitute the money from a fire claim to running the HSE, I don’t believe it is being properly managed,” he said.

A motion condemning the decision not to rebuild the centre was passed by the Council, and the Chief Executive was asked to write to the HSE informing it of the motion.

“When the Drug Treatment Centre was transferred from Shantalla to Mervue in early 2014, the HSE assured local Oireachtas members and councillors that when the claim was settled and the centre re-built in Merlin Park, the treatment centre in Mervue would be transferred.

“Many meetings were held with HSE staff during that period, with local councillors and Oireachtas members and everyone was of the opinion that a centre in Mervue, beside a crèche, schools and an elderly residential area was not an appropriate place for this treatment centre.

“On the assumption that the centre in Mervue was going to be relocated when rebuilt, the people accepted that this would be a temporary measure; but it now looks as though the money from the insurance has been redistributed to other areas of the HSE.

“A number of elderly in the Mervue area have been traumatised when the centre is in operation at the clinic and it is important that all public representatives would come together to fight the refusal of the HSE to re-build a new centre,” said Cllr McDonnell.