Concerns Killarney will have more derelict buildings

| By Sean Moriarty

There are fears that the construction of the new community hospital on the grounds of St Finan’s will result in more State-owned buildings lying idle.

The new 130-bed unit which is expected to be completed by end of 2024 is currently under-construction near the bypass and Lewis Road junction. It will serve as a replacement for the existing St Columbanus Home and Killarney Community Hospital on St Margaret’s Road.

So far, the HSE have yet to announce what will happen to the existing buildings once construction of the new hospital is complete.

There are concerns that they will join a host of other such sites in the town, like the Pretty Polly factory, the Áras

Phádraig, and St Finan’s Hospital. While there are plans in place for the former two buildings, work has yet to start on construction of either and the latter has been idle since 2012 with no sign of a potential investor on the horizon.

Cllr Brendan Cronin raised the issue at Monday’s Kerry County Council meeting.

He is concerned because a Primary Care Unit is part of the plan to re-develop the Áras Phádraig, and that could leave St Columbanus Home and the existing Community Hospital unoccupied.

"Have Kerry County Council got clarification from the HSE regarding what use is intended for the Killarney Community Hospital building and site and the St Columbanus building and site now that the new Community Hospital is under construction,” he asked the meeting.

“I believe it is very important to get this clarification before Kerry County Council a number of devastating earthquakes. workers who are working in the most affected areas of southern Turkey and northern Syria. While she is very appreciative that Irish people have donated essential goods to the aid mission, Majella said cash is better. A truck load of goods could take a week to get there but money allows the coordinators to buy what is needed when it's needed.

She told the Killarney Advertiser the harrowing story of a young boy who lost an arm and leg in the devastation as well as his father and some of his siblings who were killed. The youngster is all alone as his injured mother is currently in a different hospital many kilometres away.

“The hospital told us they needed a tablet so he could FaceTime his mother and we were able to organise the purchase of that,” she explained.

“We can get what is needed on the ground to the disaster area quicker. I am in touch with rescue workers and they tell me they need coats and tents. I know people driving up there at the weekend so I can go and buy coats and tents and get them to that car.” signs over lands at Áras Phádraig, Lewis Road to the HSE for a primary care centre."

Majella has also received cash from friends in Killarney – via a mobile banking App – including funds raised by her sister-in-law Cllr Marie Moloney, her friend Pauline O’Shea from Muckross and the local Soroptimists group. For anyone who'd like to donate they can do so via a list of approved charities available on www.dochas.ie/turkey-syria-earthquake-response/.

Last November, Killarney Municipal District approved plans for the redevelopment of Áras Phádraig. However, some elected councillors had reservations about the inclusion of a HSE Primary Care Unit within the project.

At that time councillors were told that the inclusion of the Primary Care Unit was a redline issue as without it fund- ing under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund would not be forthcoming for the entire project.

“Maybe now that I have focused attention on these two properties that will soon become vacant, Council management will have to actually contact the HSE seeking clarification regarding future potential. I have also made it clear that this clarification from HSE should be provided before the Council sign over any of the Áras Phádraig site to the HSE,” Cllr Cronin told the Killarney Advertiser.