Refurbishment work at two Health Service Executive (HSE) centres in Cavan and Monaghan has been completed.

The Residential Care Services at Virginia Community Health Centre, Cavan and St Mary's Residential Care Centre Castleblaney, Monaghan, have now officially opened.

The residential unit at Virginia Community Health Care was opened originally in 2003. In October 2014 extensive building works were completed consisting of a new extension to the unit and then refurbishment works began on the original building which were completed in January 2015. This has resulted in increasing the number of beds available from 31 to 56.These are being opened on a phased basis. It is expected that the unit will be fully operational by year end 2017. The refurbishment works include the conversion of multi-occupancy room to twin occupancy rooms.

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Assistant Director of Nursing at Virginia Community Health Centre, Bernardine Lynch said: "On behalf of the residents and staff here at Virginia Community Health Centre we are delighted to celebrate this opening today. When fully operational the unit will accommodate 50 residents in long term care and 6 in short term care."

St Mary's Residential Care centre was the original workhouse for the Castleblaney area. The HSE took over the running of the unit in 2000 from the Mercy Order of Nuns.

In October 2012 an extensive refurbishment programme of works was undertaken. The work consisted of a complete restructuring of the interior from six bedded bays to single and double rooms and the formation of three houses within the structure.

The unit is now 70 bedded which is made up of 62 long term care beds and eight respite beds. It also has a dementia specific unit with 21 beds within this.

(CD/LM)