The 2010 Planning Act expanded the categories of projects that
may qualify for strategic infrastructure status to include a very
broad definition of "health infrastructure" of "a
health care facility providing in-patient services, but excluding a
development which is predominantly for the purpose of providing
care services within the meaning given to that term by section 3 of
the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009".
The strategic infrastructure process is a one-stage, fast-track
planning process that allows private, and public, sector developers
of specified infrastructure projects to apply directly to the
Planning Board for planning approval.
The broad definition resulted in a series of pre-application
consultations with the Planning Board to ascertain if health care
projects have strategic infrastructure status. In 2011, the Board
decided that the HSE's proposal to relocate the 50-bed Acute
Adult Mental Health Unit was not strategic infrastructure.
The Board also decided that the proposed extension and
refurbishment of the Acute Adult Mental Health Unit in Mullingar to
accommodate 33 new bedrooms was not strategic infrastructure.
In contrast, the 392 in-patient bed and 53 day care bed National
Children's Hospital was found to be strategic
infrastructure.
The 2011 Act changes the definition of health infrastructure to
clarify that a facility must have more than 100 beds to fall within
the strategic infrastructure stream. Projects below this threshold
must be permitted under the ordinary planning process. This
amendment has yet to be brought into force.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
