Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Paschal Donohoe and Health Minister Simon Harris today broke ground on the Summerhill Primary Care Centre project.

The project is one of the first such projects in Ireland to receive European Fund for Strategic Investments support. EFSI funding represents a substantial contribution of up to 50% of the total €142 million financing required for the construction phase of this primary care centre PPP project.

Welcoming the project Minister Donohoe said: I am delighted to be here today to see the beginning of a much needed facility which will support the community of Summerhill, by providing excellent health services, and also support Government’s commitment to building a fair society to look after its people throughout their lives and encourage thriving communities.

Minister Harris also warmly welcomed the project, noting that: The Summerhill Centre, together with the 13 others to be delivered as part of this PPP project bundle, will be completed in mid-2018 and will mean better care close to home for the local community. Developments like this demonstrate the Government’s determination to use a strong economy to build strong public services, and are essential to my vision for primary care and the central role it will play in improving the services that really matter to people. Centres like the one in Summerhill also help keep people out of hospital, confident that they can avail of a comprehensive range of health and social care services in their communities.

Over 90 Primary Care Centres are already operational. A further 82 Centres are at varying stages of development and will, when completed, significantly enhance and expand capacity in the primary care sector to deliver a preventive, joined up approach to the management of the nation’s health and the modernisation of primary care delivery.

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Minister Donohoe noted:The Capital Plan published last year includes provision for a second PPP project in the health sector, to a capital value of around €150m. Work is currently underway on selecting the most suitable project for procurement as the second Health PPP project and I look forward to working with Minister Harris to progress that project in the months and years ahead.