Order of Malta hopeful of securing new home

The Order of Malta in Mullingar is hopeful of having a permanent home in the near future, possibly at St Loman’s Hospital’s old gate lodge.

The site is in front of the new Mullingar ambulance headquarters which would be ideal as the two services work closely.

“It would be Mullingar’s new blue light district,” quipped officer in charge Colin Watters when contacted by the Westmeath Examiner.

“We have been relying on other people’s generosity since we started in 2001 and not having a long term lease or a premises of our own has prevented us from applying for grants,” Mr Watters explained.

They started out in St Mary’s Day Care Centre, keeping their vehicles at the Mullingar Bridge Centre. They are at present in Columb Barracks, courtesy of the Department of Defence, “but it needs a lot of TLC and we haven’t a long term lease there, so we can’t put our own money into it or avail of grant aid,”Mr Watters remarked.

When he took over as officer in charge on December 1, Mr Watters made it his long term goal to secure a permanent home for the Order. He approached Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment, Peter Burke, TD, and Deputy Robert Troy.

“They have both done a lot of work and together we have been liaising with the HSE, looking for a suitable premises or land,” he stated.

“Once we have a long term lease or our own premises we will be able to apply for grants. Big funding just isn’t available to us until then," Mr Watters explained.

He said that different HSE owned sites that are not currently being used, have been examined.

“We are in the early stages and nothing has been signed, but the HSE is willing to consider the old gate lodge at St Loman’s, opposite the main building," Mr Watters revealed.

“It’s actually in front of the new ambulance service headquarters in Mullingar which, from our point of view, would be brilliant because we would have the two organisations side by side, and we work hand in hand," Mr Watters said.

It is intended to carry out a site visit with all the interested parties and once agreement has been reached and the papers signed, the Order of Malta can apply for funding.

Mr Watters was reluctant to estimate how much their new home will cost, but whatever the figure, they will be required to raise 20 per cent of it.

“I’m not sure what the target will be, but this will be the biggest amount we have ever had to raise," Mr Watters predicted.

However, he is confident that the respect and acknowledgement in Mullingar for what the Order of Malta does will ensure that local businesses and the community will get behind them.

They are in the middle of organising a massive fancy dress party in the Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, for Halloween.

“That will be the start of our campaign to fund a new ambulance and our new home," Mr Watters stated.

The Order of Malta provides first aid cover for public events, festivals, sporting fixtures, and when we spoke to him, Mr Watters and his colleagues were on duty at a summer fun day organised by a corporate group in Longford.

The Mullingar branch covers “large chucks of Westmeath and Longford” as well as helping out at national events in venues such as Croke Park and the 3 Arena in Dublin.

In addition to this, they provide an extensive patient transfer service, bringing patients to hospital and doctor appointments, and even to the chemist to pick up prescriptions.

“The last three months have been very busy because our name is getting out there and the more that know about us, the more organisations we have to deal with," Mr Watters remarked.

Having their own premises will mean that they can provide in-house training, and hopefully, they will be able to provide first aid training courses for the general public.

The Mullingar branch has around 100 volunteers, including 14 new cadets, all of whom give their services free of charge.

Organisations that engage the Order pay a donation, as do members of the public who avail of the patient transfer services, “but if an individual has limited means we don’t see them stuck," Mr Watters said.

Colin has been involved in the Order of Malta since 2004, having previously served with the Civil Defence and then the Fire Brigade.

“I wanted a more medical base and John FitzSimons who was in charge of the unit at the time, got me involved," he said.

In response to his representations, Minister Burke has been told that the HSE engaged an architect to carry out a historic assessment on the gate lodge building at St Loman’s. The architect has advised that, although not specifically identified or referred to on the current Record of Protected Structures, this gate lodge is deemed to be a protected structure by virtue of it falling clearly within the historical architectural curtilage of the listed Infirmary Building.

The advice in relation to delisting the property is that an application to remove it from the Record of Protected Structures would be unsuccessful. However, the HSE is open to discussion should the Order of Malta have an interest in refurbishing the building to suit their requirements.

Minster Burke has welcomed the update from the HSE that a review of buildings in the portfolio was being considered for potential housing of the Order of Malta.

“I know the great work that is done by the Order of Malta locally and the needs they have for a base for their operations.

“I have contacted the HSE and looked for engagement on what options might be available to them. I will continue to engage with the HSE and do all I can to help,” commented Minister Burke.