Plans for the redevelopment of Áras Phádraig on Lewis Road, were given the go ahead by elected councillors this week.

However, some had reservations about the inclusion of a HSE Primary Care Unit within the project.

Plans for the site, which has been idle since the Franciscan Friars donated it to the people of Killarney in 2009, were approved by elected members at Wednesday’s Killarney Municipal District Meeting.

Councillors were told that the inclusion of the Primary Care Unit was a redline issue as without it funding under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund would not be forthcoming for the entire project.

This did not sit well with elected councillors. Many felt that the HSE had enough of land lying idle within the town already. St Finan’s was given as an example.

They even sought to delay voting on accepting the masterplan put forward by Kerry County Council on Wednesday to allow more time to discuss issues with the HSE.

“If we don’t proceed with the primary care centre, this project won’t proceed, it is an intricate part of the funding,” John Doyle, a senior engineer with Kerry County Council told the meeting. “It is important that we adopt this plan.”

Additional plans include a theatre, an outdoor public plaza, office space, and a 392-space car park.

The project is being funded by the Urban Regeneration Development Fund for Killarney which was announced in March last year. A total of €21 million has been set aside for the regeneration of the town centre of which Kerry County Council is providing €5.5m.

There remains a faint hope that a multi-storey car will be included in future plans at Áras Phádraig but as of Wednesday there is no funding available for this element of the project.

Official documentation, circulated at the meeting and seen by the Killarney Advertiser, said: “However, given the overall objective to provide the multi-storey car park in Killarney, the masterplan includes provision for this multi-storey car park as an objective to be pursued.”