Hospital Facilities
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG), Dún Laoghaire

I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the capital works ongoing at Mallow General Hospital. In 2023, a new ward block for Mallow General Hospital was constructed and opened. As part of that project, two additional floors were constructed to facilitate subsequent infrastructure investment at the hospital, as the Deputy is aware. The subsequent development of the ward block is being progressed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the fit-out of the additional space to provide a 24-bed inpatient ward. This project is under way and is anticipated to be completed in quarter 1 of 2026, which obviously we are currently in. It is planned that facility will be put into service immediately. As a condition of the planning permission for the 24-bed inpatient ward, an extension to the existing car park is required. We have made that submission for planning permission and a tender will issue in quarter 2 of 2026. Phase 2 of the ward block development involves the fit-out of the existing ground floor shell and core space to provide an outpatient or day clinic ward, or both. This ward will include ten standard clinical rooms and an additional five clinical rooms configured for the establishment and operation of an obesity and bariatric clinic. The outpatient or day clinic ward project is at the detailed design stage. Subject to statutory approvals, it is anticipated the project tender will be issued in quarter 2 of 2026 and the timeline for delivery can then be determined.
Mallow hospital holds a particularly important place in the south-west region. We have invested very considerably in Mallow and we continue to invest in it for the benefit of the people of Mallow and also the people of the region. It forms a really important part of the patient flow infrastructure between Cork University Hospital, the Mercy Hospital and the way in which patients are moved through them for the benefit of patient safety. I have had concerns, which I am happy to discuss with the Deputy, about the use of the beds that are currently in Mallow. A question I have is how can we be sure the 24 new beds are going to be used when I have concerns about the use by the region of the beds that are currently there.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22