The HSE has confirmed that it currently owns 25 vacant buildings in Cork, with more than half of these at ‘sale agreed’ stage.
It says that 24 of the buildings, which it described as “surplus to requirement” are set for disposal, of which 13 are ‘sale agreed’. The final building, in Ballyphehane, is described as vacant and “under review”.
Last year, The Echo revealed that the HSE had 33 vacant buildings in Cork, including 14 in the city.
The list of currently vacant buildings are largely in Cork county, with the list including properties in Ballydehob, Dunmanway, Macroom, Fermoy, Kilbrittain, Passage West, Cobh, Rathduff, Castletownbere, Kildorrey, Mallow, Ballinspittle, Youghal, Macroom, Ballyhooley, Ballynoe, Allihies, Eyeries and Ballymacoda.
The information was provided to Cork Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, who told The Echo: “It is deeply concerning that in more than 12 months, the HSE has only reduced the number of vacant buildings by eight.
“We have buildings like Father O’Leary Memorial Hall or the Grattan Street dispensary that have clear proposed uses, but had been left sitting idle. There is clearly a blockage caused by bureaucracy and red tape in turning these buildings around. Everything in our health service should not move at a snail’s pace.”
The Memorial Hall, it was reported in The Echo last week, is now being sold by the HSE to the State.
He suggested that buildings should be offered for “meanwhile use” while decisions are being made on their future, meaning a short-term, temporary use of empty property until redevelopment, sale, or permanent use begins.
This would allow them to be maintained at a low cost and give community groups a temporary home, Mr Gould said.
“Instead, these buildings are left to rot for years on end while business cases gather dust. It is not good enough.”