A Killarney town councillor claims that the Health Service Executive (HSE) breached planning guidelines when it removed a 70 year old statue of the Sacred Heart from the front entrance of Killarney Community Hospital. Speaking at a recent meeting of Killarney Town Council Cllr Donal Grady (Ind.) accused the health authority of failing to register the hospital and the statue with the council as a dangerous structure.
Cllr Grady claimed, “The HSE was obliged to do so if the statue, as was claimed prior to its relocation, posed a health and safety risk due to deterioration.”
Speaking to the Kingdom newspaper he continued, “I think what they have done is all wrong with regard to the planning side of the matter.”
He added that a senior HSE official had told him that the statue was unsafe. He said it had to be taken down for that reason but that it would be relocated, which they have done. However he said, “What I am saying is that if the statue was unsafe, the first thing that the HSE should have done, according to the planning laws, is register it as a dangerous structure with the local authority.“
“They did not do this - I have checked,” the Killarney town councillor insisted. “Our planners said that they didn’t think that the HSE needed planning to relocate the statue but if one wants to make a material change to the use of buildings, which might have an actual or potential impact on the neighbourhood or on communities, then planning permission is needed.”
Cllr Grady maintained, “That’s loud and clear with regard to planning guidelines. I have paperwork here to back up what I’m saying,” the councillor remarked.
Cllr Grady said that he intends tackling the issue of the statue in the context of planning and the HSE’s alleged failure to adhere to guidelines.
“I will be calling, at the next meeting of Killarney Town Council, on the HSE to put the statue back to its original position.
“I will have a motion down and I will be tackling it under planning issues because they wrongfully took down the statue,” he said.
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