Fourteen new primary care centres in 10 counties are to be build across Ireland following confirmation of a €70 million loan from the European Investment Bank.
The centres will provides services including GP care, community nursing, dental, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, speech and language therapy, mental health, counselling and home help.
The facilities will be open at least five days a week, with extra hours at weekends and evenings for some services, according to the Department of Health.
The centre locations were among 35 shortlisted in 2012 as part of a government stimulus package.
The process sparked controversy when former health minister James Reilly was accused of improperly adding a number of sites to the list.
Only one of the centres proposed by Mr Reilly, in Co Roscommon, is now set to go ahead.
Location of new primary care centres:
- Coolock/Darndale, Dublin 5
- Summerhill, Dublin 1
- Ballymote, Co Sligo
- Claremorris, Co Mayo
- Westport, Co Mayo
- Ballinrobe, Co Mayo
- Tuam, Co Galway
- Limerick City, Co Limerick
- Boyle, Co Roscommon
- Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary
- Dungarvan, Co Waterford
- Waterford City
- Wexford Town
- Kilcock, Co Kilkenny
The project is the European Investment Bank’s first capital investment in Irish health facilities and one of the first to be financed under the European Fund for Strategic Investment Initiative, a joint initiative between the bank and the European Commission.
The scheme will be delivered through a public-private partnership with the Prime/Balfour Beatty consortium and its investors, Prime UK Holdings Ltd and HICL Infrastructure Company Ltd.
The consortium was announced as the preferred tender for the 25-year PPP (design, build, finance and maintain contract in May 2015.
The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFG and German insurance company Talanx will cover the balance of the required finance.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister for Health Simon Harris said: “Enhancing and expanding capacity in the primary care sector is crucial to ensuring delivery of a preventive, joined-up approach to the management of the nation’s health and the modernisation of primary care delivery.
“My ultimate goal is to ensure that people get the care they need as close to home as possible, and have access to a greater range of health and social care services in their community.”
Work on the sites is expected to begin on Monday.
