Day Care Centres for the elderly in Portlaoise and Mountmellick are due to be reopened in early 2022.
Laois TD Brian Stanley shared the news and welcomed the development.
He said: “The HSE senior management have informed me that work is progressing in both buildings and they are working towards a reopening date in the first quarter in the new year.
“However, they state this is ‘subject to renovation works being completed’.
“This is welcome news as I have been contacted by many elderly people who use the service and their families in recent months, all of whom are anxious to see the services resuming.
“Separately the Day Care services in Abbeyleix has been closed for some time as the space has been used for accommodation for the hospital.
“This has been of huge concern to users of the service, which covers a huge area from Mountrath, Borris in Ossory and Timahoe.”
The HSE say they are ‘actively sourcing an alternative suitable building to provide a day service in Abbeyleix and the environs of Mountrath and Timahoe.
‘The suitability of the options put forward will be reviewed by Older Persons Services as an alternative day service location for the people who recently attended Abbeyleix. This is currently at the early stages of planning’’.
Deputy Stanley said: “It is important a centre reopens to service this area in the South and East of the County.
“Many of the elderly people who were availing of day care facilities are living alone and can be very isolated living in rural areas.
“I intend to keep the pressure on the Department of Health and the HSE to have a new facility as soon as possible.’’
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