Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for attending. Most of my questions will focus on UHL because I am from Limerick. When the major internal incident was declared on 3 January, newspaper headlines the following day included terms such as “inhumane”, “inappropriate” and, most strikingly, “national basket case”. It was terrible for the staff who obviously work hard and have had to endure a great deal. I pay tribute to them and the patients who were present in the hospital at the time because it was very tough for them. When the accident and emergency department opened in 2017, it was reported that it had capacity to deal with 190 people per day. On some days, close to 300 people present at the ED so the hospital no longer meets demand.

As stated earlier, the hospital group does not include a model 3 hospital. I believe it is the only region without one. Are there any plans to have a model 3 hospital in the region? If so, at what stage are they?