Clare teachers oppose HSE plans for new community hospital on school grounds 

Staff from St Flannan's College in Ennis are opposed to the location of a new community hospital on the college grounds.

Teachers at an Ennis school are to oppose contentious €25m HSE plans for a 100-bed community hospital on church-owned green space on the college grounds.

Staff at St Flannan's College issued a statement in which they said the proposed elderly care unit development “will have a seriously negative impact on the student population” for a number of reasons.

The HSE lodged plans for the care facility with Clare County Council last August. It is to replace the existing St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis. 

The secondary school staff says the green field development site at St Flannan’s College "is the last remaining site of its kind in Ennis”.

They say “urban sprawl is taking up so much of our green spaces each year. Once this land is built upon, it will be gone forever”.

“We understand the need for a new community hospital in Ennis. However, we believe that there are several more appropriate sites available for development.” 

The statement is accompanied by a photo of over 60 staff standing on the site around a large improvised sign saying ‘Keep It Green’.

Bishop's endorsement

The intervention by the college staff is at odds with the enthusiastic endorsement of the project by Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan.

The planning application has been made possible by the diocese’s property arm, the Killaloe Diocesan Trust, agreeing to sell the lands to the HSE for the care unit development.

After plans were lodged last year, Bishop Monahan said “this wonderful proposed development” by the HSE “will be of great benefit to our community”.

Bishop Monahan said: "The Diocese is very pleased to be able to facilitate the HSE in providing a state-of-the art facility for the benefit of the communities of Ennis and County Clare in general in a location which is ideal for such a facility."

Objection

In their statement, the St Flannan’s staff say that on any evening during the academic year, there are many teams training on the pitches playing hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, ladies football, soccer, and athletics.

The staff say the field space being utilised includes “much of the space that is utilised for development under the proposed new facility”.

The staff also point out that the environmental impact of the HSE plan “would be significant”.

“Incredible generational/statement trees that are on the grounds of St Flannan’s College will be removed altogether," they say.

The statement by St Flannan's staff comes three months after Clare County Council put the application on hold saying it had serious concerns that the proposed development, particularly on lands zoned community, may prejudice the future expansion of the school.

The council letter demanded that the HSE clearly outline confirmation by school authorities or management that the lands are not required for any potential/future school expansion.

The staff statement comes after an ex-principal of the college, Colm McDonagh formally objected to the proposal.

A total of 11 objections have been lodged against the scheme including one by 86 year old Martha Walzer of Green Park, Clare Rd, Ennis who has told the Council that she “will be a prisoner in my own home” during the construction phase of the scheme.

The application will become ‘live’ once more when the HSE issues a response to the Council's further information request.