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Local councillor hits out at the HSE

By Michelle Crean

A Killarney councillor has this week hit out at the HSE to make a decision on future plans for St Finan’s Hospital.

Councillor Michael Gleeson says the HSE needs to clarify its plans for the iconic building – which he says is in a serious state of decay – and give the people of Killarney hope for its future.

Frustrated by the lack of answers over the last decade, Cllr Gleeson once again raised the issue at Monday’s Council meeting in Tralee.

Set on 30 acres of land,the mid 20th century hospital - which was originally named the Killarney District Lunatic Asylum - housed over 1,100 patients.

This week he told the Killarney Advertiser that it’s a disgrace that the historic building which has dominated the Killarney skyline since 1852 – is lying idle.

He said that there are multiple ways of developing the facility including public private partnership.

“It is very sad that it is simply standing there idle and forlorn for quite a few years,” Cllr Gleeson said.

“Killarney Town Council members tried for many years to extract some answers from the Southern Health Board, and later the HSE, regarding the future of the building and its attached land. But all in vain.”

He said that in his time he has suggested that it could be an ideal location for apartments for the elderly, especially for people who might wish to move from the country closer to town.

“Such use for similar type buildings has existed in Britain for some time. Such use I believe accords with present Irish Government policy in relation to closed convent and hospital buildings,” he said.

“I also suggested that it could be transformed into a wonderful location for outreach third level education by one of our universities and that could be particularly relevant now with the proposed merger into a new University of Institute of Technology Tralee and CIT. It could become an umbrella location for many or all of the public service centres in the greater Killarney area. But it can’t become anything other than a decaying building until the HSE makes up its corporate mind.

“I am calling on that organisation to make a positive decision now and save the building from dereliction and save itself from further ignominy.

“There is also the important matter of the adjacent land that is lying more or less idle and that has such rich potential for so many community uses.”

The Council told the meeting that they are continuing to engage with the HSE on the matter and will revert to the Members should there be any developments.