Construction’s finally set to start on a community nursing unit at St Columba’s Hospital in Thomastown.
The tender’s been accepted for the two-storey project which got the green light a couple of years ago, but was delayed.
Deputy John McGuinness has been telling KCLR News that issues which created the delay have been resolved saying “The 95-bed unit will be a new modern hospital, replacing the hospital that’s there, it has come through some issues in relation to the tendering process but I’m glad that those have now been resolved, the tender accepted and construction to commence immediately”.
He adds “This new hospital will relieve the pressures on the existing hospital at St Luke’s and indeed Waterford and will provide a much-needed service, the elderly population is growing and facilities like these are needed but aside from that it was time that the old facility, which served Kilkenny very well, was replaced”.
And the Carlow Kilkenny FF TD noted “No, that depends on when they actually get in there and get started but I believe that it’s one the sites within the tendering process that is ready to go and that the builders can move in immediately and begin construction so it depends on how fast they can get there but there won’t be any delays from now on”.