The phased transfer of residents to Killarney Community Nursing Unit (CNU) will begin next week.
That's according to the general manager of HSE South West, Fearghal Grimes.
He was answering a question by councillor Jackie Healy Rae at the South West Regional Health Forum (RHF).
Residents from Killarney District Hospital and St Columbanus Home will begin moving in on Thursday, 16 July and finish by 24 July.
In May, Minister of State for Older People, Kieran O'Donnell announced that the 101 residents of those two hospitals would be the first to move to the CNU, once it opened.
The 130-bed, Ballydribbeen facility has been dogged by delays since construction began in 2022.
It was initially slated for completion in late 2024.
The Public Private Partnership (PPP) project was finally handed over to the HSE in December 2025.
It then initially failed to secure HIQA registration, despite a pre-registration visit taking place in January, and had to resubmit the application.
Cllr Healy-Rae said that residents, families and staff have endured years of uncertainty surrounding the project.
He added attention must now turn to the future use of the buildings that will be vacated, saying they should be used to reduce pressure on University Hospital Kerry (UHK).
