The HSE spent over €825,000 (incl VAT) on professional fees on its failed planning application to secure planning permission for a €25m community hospital for Catholic Church-owned green space at St Flannan’s College in Ennis.
Last December, An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) refused planning permission to the HSE for the 100 bed hospital at the end of a three year plus long planning battle dating back to August 2022.
The planning application had the Board of Management and teaching staff at St Flannan’s College at loggerheads with the local Catholic diocese and Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan who had agreed to sell the diocesan-owned school green space to the HSE for the hospital development.
Celebrated Clare All-Ireland winning hurlers amongst St Flannan’s College staff, 2024 All Ireland hurling winning captain, Tony Kelly, double All-Ireland winner with Clare from the 1990s and hurling pundit, Jamesie O’Connor and key member of the 2013 Clare All-Ireland winning team, Brendan Bugler appended their names to a 75 strong group staff objection to the planned hospital.
The HSE confirmed in April that it intends to re-apply for planning permission for a hospital at the site.
However, figures provided by the HSE in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request show that the HSE spent €828,968 on professional fees concerning the failed planning application.
The figures show that Van Dyke Architects received €340,243 for its work on the project while Douglas Carroll received €138,110 for its electrical and mechanical engineering work on the project.
The figures also show that D. Fallon consulting engineers received €89,176.
Asked if the costs associated with the failed planning application are now a write-off, a spokesman for HSE Capital & Estates said: “The costs incurred to date have not been written off as the HSE intends to reuse the vast majority of the design scheme as initially developed for the new planning permission application also.
He said: “There is some additional design work and surveys required for a new application to address the specific reasons and considerations referred to in the decision to refuse by An Coimisiún Pleanála, primarily in respect of arrangements for wastewater disposal.
He said: “Should the HSE ultimately be successful in achieving a grant of planning permission, the current design will be further developed into a more detailed tender package and so the professional services provided and the costs arising will be fully relevant and will form part of the overall investment required to deliver the project.”
On lodging new plans, the HSE in April stated that it intended to reapply for planning permission to develop a community nursing unit on the same site “once it has fully reviewed the technical issues arising and is satisfied that a new planning permission application can resolve the concerns raised”.
It stated that “a final decision on this matter is not expected until Q3 2026”.
The planning commission refused planning permission to the HSE last December over the inability of existing Uisce Eireann waste water infrastructure in Ennis to accommodate the hospital.
In its appeal to ACP over Clare Co Council decision to grant planning permission in April 2023, St Flannan’s College Board of Management told the Council that “other suitable sites, which do not cut across existing intensive use by a large proportion of the youth of the area must be available”.
The board of management stated that “it surely cannot be the case that the provision of proper healthcare and the provision of sporting facilities for the youth of the area must be placed in conflict.”
In their objection, the St Flannan’s College staff told the Council that the hospital proposal “will have a seriously negative impact on the student population of St Flannan’s College”.
They stated that “St Flannan’s College is the only school in the town with the potential to expand if needed. We believe that it would be incredibly short sighted were the lands to be taken away from any future development.”
