Plans for St Loman’s sale heard at Dáil committee

The prospect of Westmeath County Council purchasing lands at the St Loman’s campus from the Health Service Executive (HSE) has been described as “a positive step” by one local political representative,

Longford Westmeath Sinn Féin TD, Deputy Sorca Clarke, made the observation at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health as it was addressed by the chief executive officer of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, on long-term planning in the health services.

Earlier this year, the HSE indicated they are looking to offload four sites in Westmeath. Rochfortbridge Health Centre, part of St Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar, St Peter’s Hospital, Castlepollard, and lands at Rochfortbridge were identified by the public health and social care service provider as “surplus to HSE requirements”.

At the Oireachtas Committee hearing, Deputy Clarke posed a question Mr Gloster: “I recently asked a parliamentary question about buildings owned by the HSE that may be going through a process of sale or could potentially be sold. One is St Loman’s Hospital in Mullingar. Does the HSE intend to sell it? If so, which parts and to whom?”

Mr Gloster passed the query to Kate Killeen White, regional executive officer for Dublin and the midlands, who spoke of “discussions ongoing with regard to St Loman’s”.

Ms Killeen White told members: “There are different sections of it that are subject to those discussions around an onward sale.”

Deputy Clarke raised concerns that the campus has a number of unmarked graves on it. She was informed that the HSE recognised those were “sacred space and is not in discussions for onward sale”. The Sinn Féin TD asked if the HSE would consider selling it to Westmeath County Council: “It’s near a residential housing estate and has been a bone of contention for the residents in that area because of the lack of maintenance carried out by the HSE over the years. Selling it to Westmeath County Council would make sense. It is a very small site.”

In reply Brian O’Connell, national director and head of Strategic Health Infrastructure and Capital Delivery at the HSE, said: “If we identify a property surplus to our requirements, we put it on the state register in line with all our requirements for disposing of state assets. All the county councils get a view of that in relation to the protocol.

“Since, I think, 2022, 51 of our disposals have gone to local authorities and other public bodies.

We are active in that. We would welcome the county council engaging with us in relation to that site.”

Deputy Clarke concluded her questioning stating: “If it is the same site, that may be a positive step.”