There have been calls for the HSE to take action after leaving a 2.5-acre site in a Co Meath village vacant for the last 25 years.
The land at Jamestown in Ratoath was bought by the HSE in 2001 with the original intention of building a primary care centre.
However the land was never developed, and the site has been empty ever since.
The growing village is located in the commuter belt for Dublin, and its population has risen in recent years.
Around 11,000 people now live in Ratoath and new housing developments are currently under construction in the area.
Residents are calling for this land to be used for the local community, citing a lack of medical resources like GPs and other amenities for the village.
Independent Councillor Nick Killian has been a representative for the area for nearly 30 years.
Councillor Nick Killian said that the village is increasing in size and that GP surgeries in the village are ‘full’
He says that just 5,000 people lived in Ratoath when the land was bought with the intention of building a primary health care centre.
“25 years on, a population of 11,400, and unfortunately we don’t have our health centre”,” he said.
He added: “The land has been sitting idle now for 25 years. Approach after approach has been made to the HSE, so from my particular perspective, as a representative of the people of Ratoath, the time has come to either use it or lose it.”
Mr Killian said that the village is increasing in size and that GP surgeries in the village are “full”.
“Ideally it would be a primary healthcare centre. We need it. We have the population. We don’t have the doctors to serve the population that we have at this point in time. If they’re not going to use it, hand it over to us, or to somebody that can make good use of it now and not let it lie on for another five or ten years. That would be totally unacceptable.”
In a statement to RTÉ News, the HSE said the project is not currently in its Capital Plan.
It added that Ratoath “is still included as a location” in its Primary Care Network Plan.
Meath County Council as the land is in the ownership of the HSE, it is not in a position to comment
It said that a number of primary care centres have been delivered in Meath “in order of priority” and in line with its plan for the county.
The HSE did not respond to further questions about its intentions for the site.
Mr Killian accused the HSE of treating Ratoath “abominably”.
Mr Killian said that Meath County Council made an approach some years ago to have the land transferred for a small park and housing for the elderly.
“I’m now a member of the Regional Health Forum and I intend to keep after them until they actually come back and do something, or hand it over to Meath County Council who can find a use for it in the morning”, he said.
Meath County Council has said that as the land is in the ownership of the HSE, it is not in a position to comment on its future use.
Laura Murphy is a former Chief Executive of the community centre in Ratoath
Ratoath resident Laura Murphy also believes the vacant land, which is located on a main road into the village, should be put to use.
“You walk around it, you’re driving in and out, it’s an entry point to the village, so you’re going past it, and until recently it was unkempt as well,” she said.
She added: “It’s just over two acres, so what a waste, in a beautiful village where there is so much fantastic spirit. We would do amazing things with it, I know that”.
Until last year, Laura Murphy was the Chief Executive of the community centre in Ratoath, and through this work, got to know the needs of the growing community.
“I got to know people in the community, young, old, people with special needs. If they’re sick, you’re going outside the community to go to your GP, they’re just at full capacity. A primary care centre is something we could do with.
“Across the way, they’re building houses, so it’s still growing.
“No one can deny we need houses. We can all see there is a housing crisis, but just to keep building houses and not put in the infrastructure, I mean a primary care centre, that’s key”.
Ms Murphy said she knew a lot of residents who were going to Dublin and surrounding areas to see a GP.
Physiotherapist Sivakumar Murugadoss says he would like to see a minor injury clinic in Ratoath
She said it was “such a shame” to see the land lying idle.
“25 years, that’s a long time to just sit there with nothing. Things like having a park, somewhere to walk, benches to sit down and chat. I’ve seen sensory areas, they would be hugely beneficial to Ratoath. And a playground, definitely.”
Sivakumar Murugadoss has been living in Ratoath since 2008.
A physiotherapist working in Ashbourne, he has firsthand knowledge of people from Ratoath travelling to access health services.
He says he has a lot of older people and children with disabilities who attend his clinic, and would like to see more services available in the local area.
“As a healthcare provider, I would like to see a primary care centre or minor injury clinic. We don’t have any kind of services in Ratoath, we have to go to Ashbourne, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin”.
He said Ratoath is a lot different to when he first came to the area.
“When I moved, there wasn’t many houses around. It’s a great commuter town, you can go to Dublin or Navan. There are 600 houses coming in the future, another 2,000 people. We don’t have the facilities in Ratoath to meet that need,” he said.
The HSE confirmed that “small costs” were applicable to the site once a year for the maintenance of the grass, and it is also included in the HSE’s insurance policy.
Ms Murphy urged the HSE to “do something”.
She said if the HSE is not going to use the site, they should gift or sell it back.
“I don’t know how this works, but let us do something with it. Do something. Don’t let it sit there. What a shame if it was idle for another 25 years,” she said.