The HSE recruitment embargo is preventing the new state of the art community hospital in Nenagh from opening.
Deputy Alan Kelly has hit out at both the government and the Health Service Executive for the ongoing delay in getting it up and running.
Funding was announced in 2016 with the work substantially completed by the end of last year.
This led Deputy Kelly and locals to believe the nursing home would be opening soon – with many people looking to have their loved ones to be residents there with others who are currently in St Conlon’s Nursing Home need to transfer there.
However a response to a Parliamentary Question has dashed those hopes.
“It’s absolutely scandalous that this new state of the art nursing home in Nenagh will not be opened in the near future. For the HSE to say they actually have no idea when they will open this considering it is completed, considering that the equipment is inside in it – it is ready to go – but the embargo that is in place by this government on recruitment in the HSE means that this state of the art nursing home in Nenagh will not open.
“That is a disgrace and all of those who are in government and all of those who support this government need to call this out. It is going to be one of the best nursing homes in Ireland and yet it is lying idle because the HSE cannot staff it. They need to transfer the staff from St Conlon’s and other areas and also recruit well over 60 more staff. But they can’t do so because the government tolerates this embargo. This is completely unacceptable and needs to be dealt with immediately.”
