Cllr O'Shea welcomed the news.

Hospital plan welcomed

The HSE is looking for permission to refurbish and extend Kanturk Community Hospital.

The health board is hoping to build a single-storey extension to the existing hospital consisting of 31 bedrooms with ensuites, a treatment room, sitting room, dining room, relative’s family room with an ensuite, a visitors’ room, nurses station, toilets and store rooms, among other redevelopments.

Fine Gael Cllr John Paul O’Shea said: “With the new extension and refurbishment, this will increase the number of beds in Kanturk Community Hospital to 43 beds. I am also very pleased to say that in planning this development, the HSE has future proofed the site so as to extend the total number of beds at the hospital to 77 beds into the future. This provision of care for the older person in our community is very much a welcomed one for Kanturk and Duhallow.”

He added: “I know first-hand the outstanding level of care that is shown to residents at Kanturk Community Hospital by staff. Their work provides a vital service to people in communities across North Cork. I now look forward to this application being approved, the project going out to tender and the construction phase of the project commencing thereafter.”