Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-16
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is very serious. The Deputy rightly referred to the shocking deaths of Niamh McNally, Leona Cusack, Aoife Johnston, and Eve Cleary. From that, there is no question that the mid-west needs additional investment but also reform. The reform dimension started two years or more ago now and has had impact, but the investment also has had impact. The level of increase in investment over the last five years in the mid-west is quite substantial, which gives prospects for significant investment in the next five years and even beyond that. Investment in the hospitals in the region went from about €370 million to €689 million. The UHL budget has gone from €265 million to €507 million, and then on the current side there are additional doctors, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and so forth. In that period, about 420 additional beds will be delivered across the mid-west region, including 48 additional beds. The Deputy has the details of that in Ennis, St. John's and so on, and for Nenagh.
There are additional needs. In the context of options A, B and C in the HIQA report, the Minister brought to the Government this morning a proposal to progress all three, first in terms of additional capacity in the existing site. It is interesting that the average number of people waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick has almost halved in the weeks since the new 96-bed block opened compared to the weeks prior to it. Enabling works are under way, as the Deputy knows, for a second 96-bed block at UHL. The Minister is mandating the HSE to acquire a site as close as possible to the existing site. In terms of option C, which is model 3 reconfiguration across the mid-west, the Government has agreed to develop a model 3 hospital in the HSE mid-west that will provide a second emergency department for the region. All three options will be pursued by the Minister.
The Deputy has experience as a former Minister and he knows the important decision is the one that has been taken. A lot does depend on implementation and progression.
The acquisition of a site will be very important. The speed of consideration in terms of option C will also be very important. The Minister will develop a strategic plan for option C for the commencement of reconfiguration. I do think it is possible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-16