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

I do not necessarily want to make promises that I might not be able to deliver but, I suppose, reading between the lines what I am saying is that I acknowledge there is a serious problem with overcrowding in the emergency department in UHG, about which I want to do something. It is better than it was in 2011 but it is starting to get worse again. It is certainly worse than it was this time last year. It is a very busy emergency department with 57,000 attendances in 2006, increasing to 65,000 attendances last year. Daily attendances can be as high as 258 patients so it is certainly one of the busiest departments in the country.

Much development is under way in UHG. It is certainly not being neglected but is being developed and improved all the time as a major regional centre and university teaching hospital at the heart of the Saolta group. What I am indicating is that I want to have it included in the next capital plan, if funding can be secured for it. I am indicating to the HSE that to see if it can find funding within its existing budget to begin planning and design for a new emergency department as soon as possible because it takes time to design, plan, get planning permission and so on. If funding is available in the post-2016 envelope, I would like us to be able to prioritise that project.

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