Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will have to make inquiries with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I know the surgical hubs around the country, including in Limerick, are going ahead and they were funded in the budget for 2024. I do not think they will alleviate emergency department overcrowding by much but they will help people who are on waiting lists for elective treatments. We are keen to have them up and running because they work where they exist. What will help with the overcrowding is the development of the 96-bed block but that cannot come quick enough.

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