THE outgoing First Minister and Deputy First Minister visited Lisnaskea last Thursday, June 10, for an update on plans for the former High School site, taking the opportunity to speak with representatives of community, voluntary and statutory groups who are keen to see the site developed.

A number of proposals are being brought forward to transform the site, including a health centre, Irish medium school Bunscoil an Traonaigh, and a base for South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF).

Speaking in Lisnaskea, First Minister Arlene Foster said: “I welcome this opportunity to meet with representatives of various organisations to hear more about their intentions for the site.

“The vision is for a range of community-based services on a shared site. Visiting the site today, you can appreciate the scale of what is involved, and everyone's determination to see it through.

“It is very exciting to see good partnership working within communities to make lives better for people. I very much look forward to seeing positive progress made on the options for this development.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said: “The proposals to develop this significant site into a shared space are ambitious and transformational – in many ways, they reflect the vibrancy of the local community and their determination to deliver improvements for people.

"They are laying down a challenge for us in government to match that energy in a scheme that involves departments across the Executive working in partnership with statutory organisations and local representatives.

“Today was about listening, understanding and acknowledging their efforts and vision. We all want to see this site developed in a spirit of collaboration and cooperation, and will continue to work towards that.”

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Sorcha Ní Mhurchú, Principal of Bun Scoil an Traonaigh, said: “It is lovely to see some progress on the site and to see it envisioned and developed as a community hub for education, health and community groups.”

Kenny Donaldson, SEFF Director of Services, said: “Today, they have signalled political support for what could become a flagship project, given the diverse needs and interests that will be accommodated upon that site

"SEFF’s need for a capital resource, complete with an outdoor area and garden of reflection, is clear, and our constituency – like others – must be facilitated.

"The only outcome that will be acceptable within the local area will be a win-win-win outcome for all three projects concerned."

Dr. John Porteous, Maple Healthcare, said: "It has been a long road since meetings first occurred 17 years ago when the need for a replacement building for the current Lisnaskea Health Centre was identified by health officials and local doctors.

"So much has occurred in the intervening time; personnel changes and retirements, and practice amalgamation and expansion following the retirements of our neighbouring colleagues.

"In the past year, the Coronavirus pandemic and all the stress and remodelling of services that has followed has highlighted the inadequacy of our current accommodation, with respect to the working areas and waiting areas within especially.

"It is a great boost for the morale of our practice team today to see the confirmation that this large site is to be used to locate our new practice premises in the years ahead.

"We are assured that the building will accommodate many services for the population of the whole area, not just our own practice patients.

"We now urge the departmental officials and politicians who make the decisions and hold the purse strings to progress through the final steps required as quickly as possible, to turn this massive site into a worthy facility for the citizens of this area."