Councillor for Lucan-Palmerstown-North Clondalkin, Derren Ó Brádaigh, has called for greater focus to address the imbalance of basic healthcare providers to locate in tandem with housing delivery in West Lucan. The Councillor brought this concern before management and colleagues on the final day of the latest phase in the formation of the County Development Plan 2022-2028.
Cllr Ó Brádaigh said: “Myself and my colleague Cllr William Carey, tabled a motion calling for more concentrated efforts to deliver upon the very basic of healthcare facilities needed within the rapidly emerging communities of Lucan West. These include large developments such as Shackleton, Hallwell, Paddocks and Adamstown. We have over 3,000 families in a half a dozen new developments without a local GP, dental practice, physiotherapist, or specialist treatment facility of any description. In fact, there isn’t even a single pharmacy in the immediate vicinity.
“Whilst I fully recognise that the County Development plan and the SDZ planning scheme provide criteria and set out certain policy objectives in their language to provision for larger delivery, such as a future primary care centre, we are nevertheless void of any actual basic services in the ‘here and now’. For this reason, I felt compelled to submit a motion and rebutted the charge that the motion was somehow superfluous. I was delighted that it passed with the support of an overwhelming majority of councillors from across all parties and none, and it is my view now that this will help hone efforts and instil some urgency where previously missing.
“As councillors, we are increasingly working to develop and promote the need for ideological change and a more sustainable way of living. We have policies that support and guide us toward compact growth, 10 minute town concept living and reducing our own individual carbon footprint. In order to do this, people require basic services near to them!
“I would also argue that in the absence of these essential services locating into newer growing communities, this is having an adverse effect by placing undue pressure on already overstrained existing services in places like Lucan Village itself, and is having the potential indirect consequence of inhibiting the ability to deliver upon other future projects and improvement works. Whilst it may not be within the absolute gift of the Council, there is a responsibility to ensure that every measure is examined to bring about the arrival of the physical service and facilities, into planned new and sustainable communities”.
