Delay in handing Cork nursing homes to HSE 'simply not good enough' as Killarney home finally handed over

HSE said units in Midleton and St Finbarr’s in Cork City will be handed over by March, but it could be December before St Finbarr's can take in residents

St Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork may not take in residents before December. Picture: Chani Anderson

A new nursing home in Killarney has finally been handed to the HSE by the builders, two years after it was first mooted, but the wait goes on for two homes in Cork.

However, it could be March before new homes in Midleton and Cork City are given over, the HSE said. It could even be as far away as December before the St Finbarr’s unit in Cork City takes in residents.

These three nursing homes are part of a €250m seven-unit public-private partnership (PPP) between venture company Equisisk (John Sisk & Sons with Equitix).

It was expected to be complete in 2024, but although all seven are built, Killarney is now only the third handed over to the HSE.

It is not yet clear when residents can be moved from older buildings at Killarney Community Hospital, however.

The other two handed over are in Athlone and Ardee. In the latter, the local HSE office indicated a timeline of about seven months between handover and residents moving in.

The HSE has now said the four other units in Midleton and St Finbarr’s in Cork City, as well as Clonmel and Thomastown, will be handed over by March.

This is despite previous HSE statements the Midleton site was “likely” to be given over this month.

The update was released to Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central, Pádraig Rice.

“While it’s welcome that the four remaining community nursing units are to be finally handed over to the HSE this quarter, we still have no idea when their doors will open,” he said. 

“These projects were to be completed by 2024. In my own constituency, the HSE is saying that it could be Christmas by the time St Finbarr’s is open, two years behind target. That is simply not good enough.

"Why has delivery been allowed to drift? These facilities must be prioritised.” 

The HSE’s interim national director for capital and estates, Michael Connelly, told Mr Rice the remaining four homes would now "be handed over to the HSE during Q1 2026”.

“There have been delays in construction completion of the overall community nursing unit PPP programme,” he said.

“All parties are actively engaging to address all outstanding items to achieve completion dates for all of the seven sites.” 

The HSE can only apply for Hiqa registration after the handover of each individual building.

The Irish Examiner has visited a number of the units and seen wire fencing around vacant buildings, even though some furniture is in.