The future of the Sacred Heart Hospital, Castlebar is to be secured through the provision of an €11 million grant from the HSE.
The announcement has been welcomed by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
The hospital has now been included in the HSE's Capital Programme.
Approval has been granted for the progression of planning and design for the refurbishment and extension of three long-stay wards and one rehabilitation ward based on the hospital's inclusion in the HSE West 10-year action plan Public Residential Service 2013 - 2023. The Stage Two Cost Plan must then be approved to progress the project further.
The approved capital budget for the project is €11 million which will fund all costs including construction, design and equipment. The budget will then be reviewed on receipt of the Stage 2 Cost Report with the total Capital Allocation for 2013 totalling €200,000.
The Taoiseach said: “I warmly welcome the news that €11 million has been allocated by the HSE to secure the future of the Sacred Heart Hospital. Late last year, Minister for Health James Reilly and I visited the hospital where we met with officials and heard their views as to the future direction the hospital should take and I welcome the fact that the HSE's decision is reflective of those views. I also commend the Fine Gael town and county councillors on their efforts in this regard.
“The Sacred Heart Hospital has long been at the very core of community life in Castlebar, providing an exceptional standard of care. This can now continue to be the case for many years to come which is good news indeed for the people of Castlebar and its surrounds.”
