Laois County Council have been urged to make contact with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to address “a very strange” situation in the County.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Paschal McEvoy is looking for Minister Donnelly to intervene in the hopes of restoring the GP services to Ballylinan Health Centre.
Speaking at the May meeting of the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District, Cllr McEvoy said the GP in Ballylinan was withdrawn during Covid and that GP had since retired.
“Another doctor did come for a short period of time, but he had issues with the actual Health Centre itself, and the building,” Cllr McEvoy said.
“It’s unfair to the people there, especially the older generation there in Ballylinan.”
Independent Cllr Aisling Moran supported the motion, saying the current facilities in the Health Centre are not suitable for a GP and must be upgraded.
Cllr McEvoy went on to urge the Council to consider Stradbally for a “badly, badly needed” bus shelter, saying there is “no reason” Stradbally cannot have “basic infrastructure.”
Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly supported the motion, saying a bus shelter might encourage more bus use.
Mr Diarmuid Donohoe, Senior Executive Engineer said preliminary work on a design has already commenced and delivery of the proposed bus shelter is subject to agreement with the NTA (National Transport Authority).
Cllr McEvoy also asked the Council to “drop the kerb on both sides of the entrance to Cill Beag Manor Housing estate” on the Carlow Road in Stradbally.
“This bamboozles me,” he said. “There should have automatically been a dropped kirb put in.”
Cllr McEvoy said the current situation was unfit for buggies, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Cllr Kelly supported the motion, saying the kirb as it stands “is null and void.”
Mr Philip McVeigh, Senior Executive Engineer said Council staff will meet with Cllr McEvoy on site to assess the works required.
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