HSE staff to relocate to new office

The finishing touches to fitting out the new offices for the HSE in Cavan Town are “ongoing”, with the first tranche of staff set to relocate later this month (February).

Located behind the Blackstone Motors building on the Dublin Road, the offices have been extensively refurbished to accommodate the movement of staff from a number of HSE divisions including from across Primary Care, Mental Health Services and Services for Older Persons, including Home Support.

A planned increase in the number of clinical and frontline staff is behind the move, with a “significant development of services” in both Cavan and Monaghan. Around 70 additional clinical and frontline posts are to be created, leading to a need to relocate administrative staff within the hospital also.

Contracts have already been signed for enabling works to begin on works to deliver a major new three-storey extension to Cavan General Hospital, with plans to build a new Emergency Department (ED), Endoscopy Unit (EU) and 16-bed ward on course to proceed to full tender by year end.

The HSE is also in the process of establishing a new Chronic Disease Hub at Cavan General, with the operational lead already in position and recruitment said to be "progressing" for all associated posts.

Three Integrated Care Consultant posts have been approved for this area - Cardiology, Respiratory and Diabetes- and these have been advertised.

The hub itself remains at "design stage", according to the HSE

The Dublin Road tower block was built in 2005 for use as “ancillary offices” to the car dealership located below.

However, owner Donal Watters of Blackstone Motors applied to Cavan County Council in 2021 for a change of use to allow for them to be reused in a new standalone capacity.

The wider building complex once housed the Cathal Brady Audi showroom. Mr Brady subsequently appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála (ABP), alleging it contravened the County Development Plan (CDP) and the Cavan Town and Environs Development Plan (TDP).

Mr Watters urged the planning board to dismiss the appeal, describing it as “vexatious” and stating the building is “suited to the HSE’s immediate and pressing needs for alternative accommodation”.

The board ultimately upheld the council’s decision and allowed the change to go ahead.

Work began on fitting out the new offices back in July 2022, and staff had been expected to make the move in December but for this to be pushed out until early in the New Year.

A spokesperson for HSE confirmed to The Anglo-Celt: “The fit out is currently ongoing and it is planned to commence the relocation of staff during the month of February 2023.”