Editorial: Two steps forward, one step back - progressing key Waterford projects
An architect's impression of the proposed University Enterprise Quarter on the site of the former Waterford Crystal factory at Kilbarry in Waterford city. €130 million has been committed to the project.
It all seemed to be happening in Waterford last week, with Ministerial visits and major investment announcements.
The sod turning at the Waterford Surgical Hub at Maypark Lane was presided over by Minister for Health, Fine Gael's Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, on Friday, while the previous Tuesday there was much fanfare over an injection of €130 million into the former Waterford Crystal site at Kilbarry on the city's Cork Road.
There was also the official opening of the St. Otteran’s Complex Integrated Healthcare Hub.
When completed, the theatres in the Waterford Surgical Hub will deliver additional capacity to support scheduled care for day cases and reduce waiting lists.
St Otteran's, meanwhile, has been specially developed as a facility to accommodate outpatient appointments across three consultant-led disciplines, with this hub co-locating Audiology, Orthodontics, and Ophthalmology services previously delivered at University Hospital Waterford and other community settings.
However, the question on everyone's lips was what about 24/7 cardiac care.
The Minister for Health assured that this was well on track, emphasising that it was one of the first items she prioritised and progressed as Minister, with Cabinet approval announced some months ago. Recruitment is currently ongoing, and it now seems highly likely that we will have a full 24/7 cardiac service for Waterford and the South East within 12 months, if not sooner.
All in all, it was a positive couple of days for the city - which reflects well on Chief Whip and Minister of State Mary Butler, TD, who was at Minister Carroll MacNeill's shoulder for all the media publicity that the events garnered.
Having stood firm that Fianna Fáil would deliver 24/7 cardiac care, Minister Butler will be keen to see this finally over the line as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, certain elephants remain in the room - in particular, the idle site at the back of South East Technological University's main Cork Road campus. A commencement notice was published for the Engineering building development some four weeks ago now by the developers BAM, but no further signs of work have transpired, and we continue to wait.
Many expected there to be some movement on the long-awaited development, to coincide with the timing of Frisby and the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund's significant commitment to the university enterprise quarter, so there was surprise that there wasn't even a whisper in regard to the Engineering building.
At the Rhu Glenn Hotel in Slieverue last night (Monday, June 16) locals gathered for a key meeting to impress upon government and the Department of Transport the pressing need for action on the N25.
The upgrade of the national route linking Waterford city and New Ross bypasses has been kicked down the road for decades now, and those impacted are losing patience. The campaign is a robust one, with white crosses erected alongside two stretches of the road to build awareness around the 80-plus people who have died in accidents along the notoriously dangerous and busy artery that funnels significant traffic between Waterford city, Rosslare Port and beyond.
It might seem like a few steps forward in certain areas regarding key infrastructural and capital investment projects, but we've a long way to go yet on those which remain outstanding.
