Jobs boost for locals at primary care centre

THE construction of a new primary care centre, which  has started in Coolock, will result in jobs for local people. 

Minister of State with Responsibility for Disabilities, Finian McGrath, said his office has been in touch with the contractor, regarding work opportunities for people from the area. 

Balfour Beatty commenced work at the existing health centre campus on Cromcastle Road at the end of May and the construction phase is expected to last two years.  

“There will be a social inclusion element requiring employment opportunities to be provided for local applicants,” said Minister McGrath.

“At its construction peak, the development will provide 70 jobs on-site and, over the course of the whole construction phase, it is expected to provide employment for up to 250 people including sub-contractors. 

“The new facility is being built where the old administration building is located.

“When completed, the existing health centre will be demolished to make way for an extended car park.” 

The new centre will include Coolock and Beaumont in its catchment area and will consist of four primary care teams.

Minister McGrath said it’s great news for the local community. 

“The €70 million project is being financed in the main by the European Investment Bank and is one of the first projects to be financed under the European Fund for Strategic Investment Initiative established to support investment across Europe,” he added.

The centre in Cromcastle has been chosen as one of the locations for the roll-out of 14 primary care centres across the country.

People will be able to access, in their local community, a wide range of services including GP, community nursing, dental, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work, speech and language therapy, mental health, counselling, home help and nutrition services. The Coolock centre will be open at least five days per week, with extra hours at weekends and evenings for some services. 

Meanwhile, Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has welcomed the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures which show that unemployment is at its lowest level in eight years. 

The unemployment rate fell from 9.4 per cent in June 2015 to 7.8 per cent in June 2016. In the last 12 months, the number of unemployed has fallen by 34,600, from 203,700 in June 2015 to 169,100 last month.

Minister Varadkar said the Government is continuing to make good progress in tackling unemployment. 

“There is clear evidence that the country continues to recover from the worst recession ever witnessed by the majority of workers,” he said. 

“It reflects our growing economy, and the strong growth in sectors like construction and tourism.” 

However, Minister Varadkar said there is still a lot of work to do as Ireland is lagging behind several other EU countries. 

“The level of unemployment and particularly long term unemployment is still too high,” he added. “We could and should be making more progress in assisting those who became unemployed following the crash, and have been unable to find work since.”