THE MAYOR OF Ennis has called on planning authorities to approve an application for a new private hospital in the town, saying it could generate hundreds of jobs.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle said hospital services in the area are currently “not great”, and the proposed new facility on the site of a former psychiatric hospital would be a significant boost.

The ‘full care’ hospital on the town’s Gort Road is being planned by Duesbury Ltd, who have lodged an application with An Bord Pleanála.

“I’d be 110 per cent supportive of it,” Cllr Guilfoyle told TheJournal.ie. “As mayor of Ennis and as a councillor, I’d ask people to get behind it. I hope the powers that be will look at it in a favourable way.”

The company backing the €60million project believes it could create 600 jobs, according to the Irish Examiner.

Cllr Guilfoyle said this figure was “quite high”, but even a fraction of those jobs would be welcome. “Even if it’s half of it, that’s 300 more jobs in Ennis that we haven’t had for many years,” he said.

He said he hoped the development would encourage young people to stay in the area rather than emigrating.