Primary care centre moves a step closer 

WORK on the long awaited Edenmore Primary Care Centre, which secured full planning permission last year, is finally set to commence.   

The new Primary Care Centre (PCC) is a partnership between Dublin City Council and a local development company, Woodbine Primary Care Limited (WPCL), located on Tonlegee Road. 

The site is currently owned by Dublin City Council and has been leased to St Monica’s Community Centre since 1975. 

The overall development includes a complete refurbishment of the existing community centre, the construction of a new facility for Edenmore Boxing Club and a new All-weather multi-sports pitch along with 70 parking spaces. 

Three HSE Services teams and the local Edenpark GP Practice will occupy the centre.  

The HSE will consolidate Primary Care teams from Edenmore and Harmonstown and provide a new Mental Health Unit. 

The PCC will optimise underutilised public land, create employment during construction and increase economic activity in the area when completed. 

The HSE and Edenpark are currently co-located in Edenmore Shopping Centre and have worked closely together since 1997. 

The new PCC will deliver high quality medical care to Edenmore residents bringing local facilities into the 21st century. This is consistent with the HSE’s national policy evidenced in nearby areas such as Coolock and Summerhill. 

The new project is the culmination of a national HSE public tender process launched in November 2014 where the HSE sought proposals for a 25-year lease for 75 locations around Ireland including Edenmore. 

Following a competitive tender process the HSE selected WPCL and the St Monica’s site as its preferred bidder.  

Late last year An Bord Pleanala granted full planning permission for the project. Dublin City Council, St Monica’s, the HSE, the Edenpark GP Group and WPCL have worked tirelessly since then to deliver the project. 

An Irish financial institution is providing funding for the project while WPCL have appointed the main contractor and full design team. 

A spokesperson for WPCL told Northside People: “Dublin City Council’s North Central Area Committee of 15 councillors will meet this week to ratify the disposal of the PCC site to facilitate the project. 

“Following traffic concerns raised by local residents recently, WPCL have proposed measures to DCC to address these concerns.” 

The final legal agreements will be executed in September, the project is expected to commence work in early October and is planned to open in late 2019.

A spokesperson for the HSE said: “Edenmore was identified in the HSE’s Primary Care Team Accommodation needs assessment carried out a number of years ago and the provision of a Primary Care Centre in Edenmore remains a high priority for the HSE. 

“The delivery of this centre will greatly enhance service provision for the local community and provide increased access to services such as public health nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and mental health day services.”