Kildare hospital granted planning permission in 2014 yet 'still uses prefabs'

Despite planning permission being granted Naas General Hospital in 2014 for the much needed construction of Phase 3, in 2025 sections of the hospital remain housed in unsuitable prefab units, with permission since expired.

That's the startling claim of Aontú local rep, Una O'Connor, who attended a public meeting held by the party in the Town House Hotel, Naas, Co Kildare on Thursday July 10 to discuss in open forum the ill-fated Phase 3 of the Hospital Development Plan.

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Thursday’s well-attended meeting was addressed by Aontú Leader, Peadar Tóibín with contributions from health sector experts and local Aontú representatives.

“The purpose of the meeting is to highlight the inertia in relation to a promised extension to Naas General Hospital. Phase 3 was designed and planning permission applied for and granted in 2014”, Ms O'Connor, a 2014 general election candidate told the Leinster Leader.

“This was to be a two-storey over basement extension of the hospital and the final phase of the new hospital. Permission was granted in 2014, five years rolled on and nothing happened.

“So a further five years was added to it, that brought us up to 2024 and it expired completely in December of last year. So a 10-year-old permit expired in December of last year.”

According to Ms O'Connor, a letter sent to the board of Naas General Hospital earlier this year failed to assuage concerns over Phase 3, and instead offered a “long-winded, aspirational reply” about a new, completely different an as yet unactioned design.

“All sorts of bells and whistles have been promised, but nothing has happened”, she said.

When asked if she could view the plans for Phase 3 at the Planning Department in Kildare County Council the Aontú local rep was informed that the lapsed plans had been archived to off-site storage.

Despite setbacks in what has become a new campaign, Ms O'Connor said that Aontú leader, Deputy Tóibín has offered his full support: “Peadar attended last night's meeting and he gave us a great account of the success they've had with Navan Hospital.

“They wanted to close Navan Hospital completely, and then they wanted to close the A&E, so he mobilised the town and they've managed to hold off on all that, so they still have their hospital and they still have their A&E.

“It encouraged us to start a campaign first of all to raise awareness that Phase 3 of the hospital has not been delivered, and that the permit has expired.”

Failure to implement Phase 3 in Naas General Hospital has meant the Kildare hospital continues to operate a number of prefab units, which Ms O'Connor says are wholly inadequate for patients' needs.

For example, the Oncology Day Ward is based in a prefab unit located in the hospital car park, and the “temporary” morgue is also in a prefab unit, and is in fact 24 years old.

Alongside the “temporary” morgue are two compactor skips, making it less than pleasant for relatives who have to identify loved ones' remains.

Naas General Hospital has outlined new development plans, albeit without mention of the now defunct Phase 3. So what is Aontú is looking for?

“We want to know first of all, what happened to Phase 3. You can imagine the expense of getting it designed and permission granted, getting it to that stage and 10 years on not a sod has been turned.

“The outcome of the meeting was that we got a lot of interest from the floor, and a lot of people very unhappy with the service they received at the hospital. I honestly believe it's no fault of the staff there, they're just operating out of very difficult conditions.

“So people are keen to keep it going and to get involved. So we're going to push on and raise the issues in Dáil Eireann, and keep the spotlight on it. Hopefully this is the start of a campaign for Naas Hospital.”

Deputy Tóibín has undertaken to table a parliamentary question in Dáil Eireann to establish how much it has cost for the project to reach this stage in plans,only to be abandoned.

The Deputy will also ask if there is “any real tangible plan” to provide Phase 3 for Naas General Hospital.

What may follow is a long and protracted campaign by Aontú.