Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Select Committee on Health
Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 38 - Department of Health (Revised)
2:00 am
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
There are number of different questions. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to come in on mental health and Mr. Tierney to come in on some of the infrastructure matters. In Kerry, there is a new ward block that is at design feasibility stage in accordance with the acute inpatient bed capacity expansion plan. In relation to community beds, there are 160 beds coming this year. Caherciveen Community Hospital is in the mix for some of that.
I wish to set aside the emergency room in Kerry and provide a little context. It has been quite a mixed picture for the hospital and the management of the hospital. I am happy to provide the Deputy with figures going back to 1 February. For February going into March, there was a pretty average to poor experience there. However, the experience changed quite considerably with hospital trolley figures. I saw in the media in Kerry the INMO reporting zero trolleys. I see repeatedly throughout April and May very different figures of four, five and six compared with 20 and 24. There is a management issue in relation to that as well. I repeatedly see figures of zero. It is not just about bed capacity in Kerry. In Limerick, it is absolutely about bed capacity, not necessarily in Kerry. It is not a sufficient answer to the management of the emergency room in Kerry. It is necessary everywhere, but it is not a sufficient answer. It is also about the management of the hospital and the emergency room. I will provide the Deputy with the figures in order that he has them as a representative for that area. I am looking forward to coming and seeing the management of the different issues and pressures there.
I ask Deputy Butler to come in and then Mr. Tierney to come in on some of the other capital projects.
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