No progress on plans for Mullingar Workhouse

Almost four years after the Health Service Executive announced they were engaging a conservation architect to oversee works to preserve the former famine workhouse building in Mullingar, they say they are “examining proposals” for its use.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Robert Troy, TD, initially raised the issue in 2023 by asking the Minister for Health to engage with the property section of the HSE to form a plan to protect and enhance the historical building at Old Longford Road, Mullingar.

In June of 2023, the HSE replied to a Parliamentary Question (PQ) submitted by Deputy Troy. In his reply, Paul de Freine, the then national director of Capital and Estates with the HSE, said they were “currently occupying a number of buildings on the former famine workhouse site on the old Longford Road, Mullingar”.

He pointed out that the HSE had engaged a conservation architect 12 months earlier to advise on “the appropriate remedial works” to preserve the St Mary’s Lodge building. He said the conservation architect was necessary because of the “protected nature of the building”.

At that time, Mr de Freine said: “Tenders will be sought for the initial clearance and protection works in the coming weeks, with a view to having a contractor appointed for these works within the next three months. Following the completion of these remedial works, Capital and Estates will progress with investigative structural surveys to help determine potential of this building for future HSE purposes.” Deputy Troy followed up with another PQ towards the end of last year, just over three years after the appointment of the architect. The reply to that question came from Michel Conneely, the HSE interim national director of Capital and Estates.

“The HSE is currently examining proposals for the use of the old famine workhouse on the old Longford, Road, Mullingar,” Mr Conneely said.

“These proposals will be developed in line with infrastructure guidelines, with the development of Strategic Assessment Report and Preliminary Business Case up to Approval Gate 1, at which point further details will be determined,” he concluded.

Deputy Troy said in the last four years “nothing whatsoever has been done” to the historic building. The Fianna Fáil TD is adamant the project be progressed: “I have sought a meeting with the HSE director of Capital and Estates to tease out how these commitments can be reneged on,” he said.