Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

New Maternity Hospital for Limerick?

So it seems a decision has finally been made to re-locate to the Mid western regional hospital in Dooradoyle! This was first mooted some years back but with little commitment to funding coming from the government, it looked like a modest redevelopment of the current hospital was on the cards. St Munchins hospital occupies a prime site on the Ennis Road, just across Sarsfield Bridge, no doubt it will be much sought after by developers when it becomes available!

HARNEY DELIVERS NEW MATERNITY PLEDGE
By CLODAGH O’LEARY

THE Mid-West is set to get a new maternity hospital, it was confirmed this week, after the project was named by Minister for Health Mary Harney as the number one priority in the HSE Capital Plan 2007-2011 in a meeting in the city.

Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea and Limerick West Fianna Fail Deputy, Niall Collins met with Minister Harney this Monday during her day-long visit to Limerick, along with senior medical and administrative staff of St Munchin’s Maternity Hospital to highlight the case for a new state-of-the-art maternity hospital for the region.

The Dail deputies were told that €50m has been allocated in the four-year plan to deliver the project, and the estimated completion date has been set at September 2011.

In a joint statement following the meeting, Deputy Niall Collins and Minister O’Dea stated: “It is critical that a new maternity hospital be provided on the site of the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle.”

“The existing capacity in the Ennis Road facility puts huge pressure on all medical and nursing staff in what is already an area with huge responsibility. It is not good enough in this day and age to have to transfer critical cases across Limerick City, approximately a 6km journey should the need arise.”

St Munchin’s Maternity Hospital in Limerick was built in 1961 to cater for an annual birth rate of 3,500. The estimated birth rate for 2007 will be in the region of 5,200, and when one analyses the recent census the projected birth rate will grow to 6,500 per annum over the coming years. It is critical that a new maternity hospital be provided on the site of the Mid Western regional hospital in Dooradoyle” said Cllr Collins.

Limerick Chronicle 09 October 2007

Incidentally the future of the Council owned sports grounds at the rear of St Munchins hospital has also been in the news recently! Im sure Limerick City Council are keeping a close eye on developments here, mouths salivating at the thoughts of a major windfall no doubt!:rolleyes:

Sale fears at sports venue

THE blatant “hands off” warning issued to Limerick City Council by Limerick Athletic Club, the anchor tenant of the LPYMA grounds, will do little to quell the growing unease that a lucrative sale of the prime Ennis Road site is on the cards.

Councillors for the northside have repeatedly called on City Council to declare its hand regarding the future of the venue, zoned recreational.

Their requests have been side-stepped. City Hall officials promised to deliver “a report” on future plans. The most recent of a report, “before Christmas”, was given by director of services, Pat Dowling, who has refused to clarify the focus of the report.

While speculation has been rife for some time that with a suitable site required to accommodate the construction of proposed new and larger Regional Maternity Hospital, the adjacent LPYMA Grounds would fit into plans. Meanwhile, should the hospital be relocated elsewhere, the two sites combined would provide a valuable inner city 4.6 acre land bank for the City Council.

Northiside councillor, Michael Hourigan, has been asking questions about the grounds since he was elected to the council in 1999.

“I’m totally against a property developer going in and I, and the other councillors, will oppose any such development. Despite our questions down through the years, we’ve been given no concrete information – the silence is suspicious and we’re being fobbed off with unsatisfactory assurances that reports will soon be presented to us, but no information on what the reports are commenting on.

“As a local councillor, I want the LPYMA retained as open space for the people to house a multipurpose facility for athletics and sports for all age groups – it should not become the property of any one sports organisation”.

Pointing out that it would take a unanimous vote from all the

councillors to change the zoning status, he commented that while City Hall executives “are transient, it is the people who live on the city’s northside who should benefit and the communal use the land can be put to, in an area which is so devoid of sports, leisure and recreational facilities”.

A spokesperson for the Limerick Athletic Club, tenant’s since 1935, said they are worried by the “constant speculation by other clubs and property developers who eye up the property which we possess – we don’t want to be eliminated by stealth from our home. As it is, we have title and the least we’d expect is to be consulted if any alterations are to be carried out to our home”.

Pat Dowling was unavailable for comment before going to press