An announcement of nearly €24 million to be invested in healthcare in Cavan/ Monaghan area has been welcomed locally.
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, has today approved the publication of the Health Service Executive's Building and Equipment Capital Plan for 2026.
This plan brings an investment of €23,537,800 to Cavan, as part of a €1.3 billion allocation nationally for the development and enhancement of healthcare infrastructure
The announcement includes investment in Ballyconnell, Cavan General Hospital, Cavan Town, St. Christopher's Hospice, and Virginia Community Health Centre.
In Monaghan €40,000 has been allocated to the proposed refurbishment of St. Mary's Castleblayney.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Senator Joe O'Reilly said today's announcement is welcomed as people are living longer healthier lives.
"So important that you have the capacity to live long healthy lives with good health promotion, health education etc. Then it's important to know that in our outstanding Cavan General Hospital facilities are available for people when they get sick as inevitably all of us do at some point and that is why the new beds there, the new five-storey unit, the three-storey unit and the whole development at St Christopher's hospice is also important there. So we do need facilities for people being sick and I suppose because people live longer now and you have an older demographic you have more people getting sick and you need investment"
Local TD Brendan Smith welcomed today's announcement.
He said that the funding announced today will be put towards a number of very substantial projects.
"There is €8 million being allocated in respect of the ongoing development of St Christopher's Hospice. These are projects, St Christopher's Hospice is under construction. The major projects at Caven General Hospital have been going through the planning and design process and they will be going to tender stage.So these are all very substantial projects that will considerably enhance healthcare development in the Cavern Monaghan area for many years to come."
