Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending. I am here to speak about the investment in Portiuncula University Hospital and Roscommon University Hospital, and the reason I am here is that our Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, nominated me to represent my region, Roscommon-Galway. As somebody who is quite new to public life, I have had the opportunity to fight for our region and make sure it is represented and stands out when it is fighting for balanced regional investment. That is the mark of the man who nominated me to be able to speak here about these hospitals.

In February 2023, the Taoiseach met the senior clinical team at Portiuncula University Hospital and had an opportunity to walk about the hospital and see the emergency department and the pressures the hospital is facing, but he also had the opportunity to see more than €34 million of investment in a 50-bed ward block that was allocated in 2019 during the tenure of the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. It is important we see this investment in our hospitals and for the future.

I acknowledge the Minister of State is taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, but I am here to speak about the expansion requirements around the emergency department. When the Taoiseach visited Ballinasloe last year, he very much saw the improvements, development and progress of the investment in the hospitals up to that point, but he also saw the pressures that are in the emergency department. Among all the hospitals in the Saolta University Health Care Group, this is the one emergency department that has not seen any work over recent years. I know there was strong support from Saolta, and now from the new regional executive for the north and north west, in seeing investment into the department. Currently, under the HSE capital plan, it is listed as being at design stage. Last year, we worked hard to ensure that project would be moved forward. I now want to see this project being treated as a priority and moving forward because it is for the more than 400,000 patients in four counties who use the hospital and call it their own.

I am also here today to speak on behalf of Roscommon University Hospital. There has been magnificent investment in the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and many volunteers came together to open this facility, with more than eight beds in the area. Roscommon University Hospital is giving palliative care staff for this. The hospital has seen a reduction in waiting lists.I know there are specialties in Portiuncula University Hospital in terms of plastics and reconstructive surgery. It is using leading edge and innovative technologies but what we also see here is a real increase in day surgeries. There has been more than a 15% to 20% increase in minor injury unit activity, and also in day surgeries. The challenge here is that people cannot get parking because the hospital is so busy.

We had an update from the Saolta University Hospital Health Care Group general manager there, Marie Doorly, who spoke about how they need what is basically a spatial development plan. I ask the Minister of State what needs to drive the spatial development plan because nothing else can happen in this hospital until we see the likes of improvements in the day surgery ward and the rehab unit planned for Roscommon University Hospital. We see new, unique skill sets and jobs being provided in the Roscommon area through this hospital but we need to make sure there is a plan for expansion. None of this can happen unless there is a HSE spatial development plan.

We have never seen a larger budget being allocated by the Government to the HSE capital plan and the Department of Health What we need to see is balanced regional development so that everyone on the island of Ireland receives the same care and services. That should be happening under this Government. That is what I want to see in terms of Portiuncula University Hospital and Roscommon University Hospital within the Saolta University Hospital Health Care Group.