Group to build €60m hospital

A private consortium is planning to establish a €60m hospital that will create 600 jobs in Ennis.

A private firm, Duesbury Ltd, is planning a 97-bed hospital within the 19th century protected structure that housed the former Our Lady’s Psychiatric Hospital on the northern outskirts of the Clare town.

The company has referred the proposal to An Bord Pleanála to determine or not if it can be classified as a Strategic Infrastructure Development.

If it does meet the criteria, the application will be adjudicated upon by the appeals board by-passing Clare County Council planners.

A spokesman for Duesbury said yesterday: “A number of hospital investors/operator groups are in discussions with the owners of the site with regard to its future use.”

The spokesman said the hospital would create 100 construction jobs and 600 when operational.

He also confirmed the hospital would comprise of a full care hospital providing all medical services and ancillary accommodation to include 97 full in-patient beds.

Hotelier Allan Flynn, builder Martin Fitzgibbon and Paul Talty purchased the site in October 2005 from Clare County Council for €5.2m. The trio subsequently secured planning permission for a four-star hotel on the site.

However, the three have never advanced the hotel plan and, through Duesbury, are now seeking planning permission for the hospital.

HSE health forum member Cllr Brian Meaney said yesterday he would not be opposed to such a hospital plan. He had been vocal in his opposition against plans for a private hospital on the western fringes of Ennis last year that was refused planning permission.