Primary care centres: How locations were chosen

After Minister for Health James Reilly and Minister of State Róisín Shortall agreed priority should be given to areas of urban and rural deprivation, HSE officials were tasked with identifying the areas of greatest need.

They came up with a league table based on three criteria – deprivation, service provision and available accommodation.

The first criterion used was the Haase and Pratschke Deprivation Index, a measure of poverty and affluence developed by two Irish researchers using census data. The index was rated from one in areas of highest deprivation to seven in areas of least deprivation.

The resulting index was then multiplied by three to reflect the priority attached to this criterion.

Local officials were asked to assess priorities in their area and to rank them in order. Highest priority areas got 10 points, with points awarded if a primary care centre was already developed. A location was awarded 15 points where no accommodation was available, down to zero where a centre was operating in one building.

Each location was then scored on service score plus accommodation score minus three times deprivation score to produce the final table. After the file left Ms Shortall’s office, the criteria were tweaked again to encourage GP participation.

THE SHORTLIST  

The 30 locations approved by the HSE and Department of Health officials:

Ballymote, Co Sligo

Boyle, Co Roscommon

Carrickmacross

Carrick-on- Suir

Claremorris

Clonmel

Coolock

Cork city (Togher)

Crumlin/Drimnagh

Donegal town

Drogheda north

Dublin inner city (Summerhill)

Dungarvan

Dungloe, Co Donegal

Ennis

Gort

Kells

Kilcock

Knocklyon/Rathfarnham

Laytown/Bettystown

Limerick City

Rathdrum, Co Wicklow

Rowlagh/north Clondalkin

Thurles

Tralee

Tuam

Tullow/Rathvilly (east Carlow)

Waterford city

Westport

Wexford town

The five added before a press statement was issued by Minister for Health James Reilly:

Balbriggan

Swords

Ballaghaderreen

Darndale

Kilkenny