Coffee dock to be kept at Portlaoise hospital after planning permission secured

The HSE sought planning permission for the existing coffee dock on the hospital grounds

Published 24th Aug 2026, 13:00 BST Updated 24th Aug 2026, 20:00 BST The coffee dock is located beside the emergency vehicle entrance at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise. Photo: Leinster Express. The HSE sought planning permission for the existing coffee dock on the hospital grounds Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.

Planning permission has been approved for an existing coffee dock at the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

In June, the HSE lodged a planning application with Laois County Council to retain a coffee dock and outdoor seating area on the grounds of the hospital in Portlaoise.

The prefabricated coffee dock and paved seating area was already located on the north side of the hospital campus beside the emergency vehicle entrance off the Dublin Road. The coffee unit and seating area are under a metal canopy structure.

The coffee dock is adjacent to the original gate lodge and satellite single-storey buildings which are now used for plant and storage areas by the hospital. The gate lodge is listed as a Protected Structure, as is the main hospital building.

Men in court after chase following probe of Laois burglaries The HSE stated in their application that no additional accommodation is proposed to be provided as part of the application and so no additional parking has been planned.

They said that this is an important feature of the hospital campus which now has around 1,000 staff, as “the coffee dock provides customer conveniences and hot beverages.”

Laois County Council has approved planning permission for the coffee dock and seating area, subject to a number of conditions.