Laois eye clinic to reopen at new location
Treo Nua Community Centre at Knockmay Hurpurs Lane, Portlaoise
AFTER years of campaigning, the long-shuttered Laois eye clinic is set to reopen in a new location at Treo Nua centre at Harpurs Lane, Portlaoise. The centre is also home to a family resource centre in Portlaoise which includes a montessori and which is chaired by Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley.
The absence of a Laois service has meant that people throughout Laois have had to travel as far as Athlone to attend specialist eye appointments, which has caused substantial difficulty for those living in the south and east of the county due to the extra distances they were forced to travel, which, in many cases, caused them to miss days off work or school.
The HSE has confirmed that the catchment area for the new clinic will be all of Laois. It will be staffed by one full-time consultant and several support staff. The reinstated service will be aligned with the Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin and is projected to start up within the next three months.
The Portlaoise councillor celebrated the reinstatement.
In a recent statement, she said: “I have received this news and confirmation from the HSE of the long-awaited reinstatement of the eye clinic for the county. This will be located in modern facilities in Treo Nua centre, Harpurs Lane, Portlaoise.
"As chairperson of Treo Nua, I very much welcome this development. Both the manager and board of Treo Nua have been liaising closely with the HSE to enable this development. Myself and deputy Brian Stanley have been trying to get the service back to Laois and we have been raising it with the HSE over the past couple of years.’’
