*Cllr Pat Daly (inset) has called for a new site to be zoned for a future Model 3 or 4 hospital in Clare || Pictured: Ennis Hospital
A CALL has been made for a site on the motorway outside Ennis to be identified and zoned for a future Model 3 or 4 hospital serving Clare.
Councillor Pat Daly (FF) made the call at the September meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, saying: “If Pat McDonagh can put in an impressive plaza, there is no reason the HSE cannot put in a new hospital for the people of County Clare”.
Cllr Daly asked the Ennis MD to liaise with Clare County Council’s Forward Planning section with a view to ensuring that a site outside Ennis could be zoned in the coming years to accommodate a future hospital.
In his written motion, he called for a site that could be purchased by the HSE and made available if the Department of Health, HSE and HIQA sought to improve hospital provision in the Midwest.
Responding to the motion, Senior Engineer Hugh McGrath said the Ennis MD and Planning Department would have regard to the request as part of the upcoming review of the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029.
“Ennis MD together with the Planning Department will have regard to this request as part of the upcoming review of the Clare County Development Plan 2023-2029, where the opportunity will present itself to zone lands for various land uses including those suitable to accommodate medical care,” he said.
The council said sites for medical care would need to be considered against a range of planning matters, including access to public transport and road infrastructure, water and wastewater infrastructure, ecological considerations, proximity to residential areas, access to energy sources, distance from other medical centres and susceptibility to flooding.
It said the development plan review was the most appropriate mechanism to explore the suitability of sites for medical care while allowing for public and stakeholder engagement in the site assessment process.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Daly said he had spoken to people over the summer who wanted to see the proposal progress.
He pointed to Clare’s population of more than 130,000 and said the county’s existing hospital provision was “just not good enough”.
Cllr Daly said “County Clare deserves more” and called for the HSE to purchase a site so it would be available for a future hospital if required.
Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF), who seconded the motion, said Clare had been “set aside effectively” when it came to hospital provision.
He referred to the pressure on University Hospital Limerick and raised concerns about access to emergency care for people living in West Clare.
Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Deputy Mayor of Ennis, supported the motion and said it was “very important” to identify a site.
She described the situation as “hugely frustrating” and said Clare had been “left behind” when it came to hospital provision.
Cllr Howard said people travelling from West Clare to A&E could face lengthy journeys and highlighted the importance of time during an emergency.
“Every minute is precious,” she said.
Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) described the proposal as “forward thinking” and “strategic planning”.
She said the process should probably have started 10 or 15 years ago when it was known that another hospital would eventually be needed in the Midwest region.
Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (FF) also supported the motion and said she believed another hospital would be needed in the region within the next 10 years or less.
She said Clare needed to “be ahead of the game”, noting that Ennis was around 20 to 25 minutes from University Hospital Limerick by dual carriageway but that travelling further afield could be “riskier” for patients.
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