The process of selling off lands and buildings on the St Brigid’s Hospital site in Ballinasloe is due to get underway in the early part of 2026, a Regional Health Forum meeting has been told.

Local Councillors Evelyn Parsons (Ind) and Alan Harney (FG) sought an update on the process and Cllr Parsons said while it was welcome that the HSE had confirmed that auctioneers, O’Donnellan and Joyce, had been appointed as sales agent, she criticised health chiefs for slow progress on the sale.

“There is now slippage to quarter one of 2026 – I understood this was to be completed in 2025,” she said, referring to elements of the site being brought to the market.

“This is a hugely important issue. We want a bit more information on this – the public is starved of information,” added Cllr Parsons.

Integrated Health Area Manager Ann Cosgrove said the HSE was engaging with Táilte Éireann, which manages the property ownership registry, to ensure that everything was in order before going for sale.

“It isn’t a hasty process – that’s fair to say. Because it is very old, as are many of our legacy sites, there is a process to go through around title rectification.

“There is also a piece around having an architectural heritage report in terms of what is or is not listed,” said Ms Cosgrove, referring to protected structures on the site.

Meanwhile, Cllr Harney reminded the Executive that Galway County Council had issued the HSE with a Derelict Sites Notice over the condition of some of the buildings on the St Brigid’s site.

“For as long as the HSE is in ownership of those buildings, it has a responsibility for protecting them.

“It is crucial that we would see works before the end of the year to stabilise the buildings,” said Cllr Harney, adding that Storm Éowyn in January did substantial damage to the site and a further storm could lead to the loss of the roofs which would make “restoration so much more difficult”.

The meeting heard that an architectural heritage report had recently been concluded for the site and this would inform discussions with Galway County Council.

The HSE is due to meet with Galway County Council in the coming weeks “to agree an approach to address the deterioration of infrastructure”.

Pictured: St Brigid’s…land sale.