West Kerry Community Hospital in Dingle has been officially opened by the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD.

The new Hospital, built at a cost of €16.4 million is designed to provide residential care for people in the region as well as a wide range of community supports, including convalescent care, respite care, hospice care and direct GP admissions. The new Hospital replaced the old Community Hospital in Dingle which closed in 2010 as it could no longer meet the needs of residents, staff and visitors.

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Mr Michael Fitzgerald, Area Manager for the HSE in Kerry said: "This hospital was designed and built to ensure the utmost comfort and optimal care facilities were provided for patients now and into the future. The new hospital together with the existing Primary Care Team services in West Kerry heralds a new era in heath care provision to the Dingle Peninsula."

Also located on the campus of the new Hospital is a mental health day care centre, day care centre for older people, Southdoc facilities and an ambulance base for the Dingle area. The mental health day care centre replaced the existing, smaller mental health day care centre which was located in the old community hospital. The new day care centre for older people compliments the existing range of community based, day support services being provided throughout the peninsula by a range of voluntary organisations.

(CD/DW)