Killarney councillors have reversed their decision to back a €47 million development at the Áras Phádraig site, despite approving the plan earlier this year.

The proposal included a six-storey HSE primary care centre, a three-storey theatre, and a new public plaza on Lewis Road.

The scheme was to be funded through a mix of government regeneration funds, Kerry County Council contributions, and HSE investment.

At a meeting last week, all seven municipal district councillors voted against the project following strong public opposition.

Mayor Martin Grady opened the meeting by reading a letter signed by all seven councillors, setting out their position ahead of the vote.

The Killarney Advertiser has seen the contents of the letter.

A total of 162 public submissions were received, most of them critical of the plan.

Concerns raised included the sale of a publicly owned site to the HSE, loss of parking, traffic issues on Lewis Road, and the scale and height of the proposed building.

There was also unease over the availability of other HSE-owned sites in the town and vacant buildings already under its control.

The original Part 8 planning process had to be repeated earlier this year when council management admitted that some public submissions had not been circulated to councillors before the first vote.

In April, six of the seven members had approved the plan.

At last week’s meeting, councillors said the volume and tone of public objections could not be ignored and claimed they had not been given full details during the initial approval process.

Mayor Grady said all members now want a revised proposal focused on local needs, including relocating the library, developing civic offices, a council meeting room, and the proposed theatre but without the primary care centre.

Council management warned the rejection comes with risks. Town manager Angela McAllen said the €47 million proposal had the potential to generate long-term value of over €130 million and noted the project was already well advanced.

Senior engineer Frank Hartnett cautioned that removing the HSE from the plan means a new anchor tenant would have to be found.

Without this, it may not qualify for government funding through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).

Despite those concerns, Grady’s proposal was backed by Fianna Fáil’s Niall Kelleher and It was seconded by Brendan Cronin and went through unanimously.

Council management said they will now work with elected members on preparing a new proposal.

Logical site already exists

The most logical location for a new primary care centre in Killarney is the soon-to-be-vacated District Hospital or St Columbanus Home.
A new minor injuries unit has already been approved for the grounds of St Columbanus Home. It was confirmed months ago that work on that site will begin once the new community nursing unit at St Finan’s is completed and residents and staff are moved across.
The minor injuries unit was only intended as a temporary measure, with a long-term plan to relocate services into the Áras Phádraig site.
However, those plans are now in doubt.
The Killarney Advertiser understands the HSE has separate long-term plans for both the District Hospital and St Columbanus sites.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed this but was not in a position to provide further details
“Hopefully this turns out to be true,” the source said, “as the last thing we need is more vacant government buildings in Killarney.”
Mayor Grady’s letter (see main story) proposed the primary care unit be built on the expansive St Finan’s site.