MINISTER FOR Older People Máire Hoctor has announced a day care and bed facility for the elderly in her North Tipperary constituency - but local Independent TD Michael Lowry claims he delivered the multi-million euro project under his deal with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Deputy Lowry says the Taoiseach agreed to provide the new day care centre and 20-bed long-stay residential unit in Borrisokane under his deal agreed as part of the his support for the Government. He has produced what he claims is a page of the agreement, showing Mr Ahern signed off on the project as part of the deal hammered out last June following the general election.
"The funding for this much-needed centre and long-stay bed facility in Borrisokane had been one of the core demands that I put before the Taoiseach during my negotiations with him last summer, and the funding allocation had been agreed back then."
Mr Lowry said the issue had been the subject of numerous broken promises by Fianna Fáil representatives, but he had for many years consistently raised the provision of the centre with the Minister for Health and with senior officials within the HSE. "Borrisokane is one of the few centres of population in the country that does not have a day care centre and long-stay bed facility.
"Its absence has been very frustrating for senior citizens and the wider community in Borrisokane."
However, Ms Hoctor said she advanced the project in her capacity as Minister for Older People. "Since my appointment to this position last June, I have endeavoured to have this project advanced . . . I am pleased to see that my efforts have come to fruition with approval now. It is my intention to continue to work closely with the local community and the HSE to deliver a state-of-the-art facility for older people in Borrisokane within two years."
North Tipperary Fine Gael TD Noel Coonan disputed Mr Lowry's claims, saying the project had finally beedelivered after years of lobbying. "Michael Lowry is attempting to make this a big issue as part of his deal with Bertie, but this was already announced."
A spokesman in Mr Lowry's office said they did not yet know how much money is earmarked for the project, but it is understood to run into several million euro.