Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On many occasions I have raised in this House the situation concerning the dire conditions in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. Unfortunately, the situation seems to be getting progressively worse. The Minister for Health has committed to setting up a surgical hub in the mid-west to alleviate the pressure on UHL. I raised this by way of parliamentary question last February and the Minister told me at that time that the project was going ahead and that meetings were taking place about it that very week. Nine months have elapsed since I got that response. What I want to ascertain today, on behalf of the hard-pressed people of Limerick and surrounding districts, is when we are going to see this hub. When is it going to actually be in operation? We are on the verge of yet another winter of discontent in relation to trolleys, waiting times, and delays in UHL. When are we going to see this hub in operation and where is it going to be located?

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