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

I thank Deputy Noel Grealish for raising this important matter and for the constructive suggestion he put forward. I am advised that the Saolta University Health Care Group, which runs the hospitals in the west, is working with the HSE to examine the potential for a new day-services hospital block at Merlin Park. As the House will be aware, Project Ireland 2040 provides for ten new hospitals to be built over the next ten years, three of which are now under construction. As part of that, there are plans for a new elective medical centre for Galway. Merlin Park is being considered as one of the possible sites for that centre. It is not currently proposed to have a minor injuries unit as part of that hospital development but the argument the Deputy makes is a very strong one. Someone with a minor injury could have to wait for hours to be seen at the accident and emergency department in Galway because more serious cases are seen first. If he or she were able to get transport to Roscommon, he or she would probably be seen, treated and home in the same time as he or she would spend waiting in University Hospital Galway. That is fine if one has transport or someone to drive one but, of course, that is not possible for everyone.

There are now a number of minor injuries units around the country, in Dundalk, Monaghan, Roscommon, the old orthopaedic hospital in Cork, Smithfield in Dublin, Loughlinstown, and St. John's in Limerick. I only wish people knew more about them. There are thousands of people around the country waiting in waiting rooms in emergency departments who could be seen very quickly at these minor injuries units. There is no such unit in Galway. Galway is a county with a big and growing population. In the context of the hospital development, the plan for Merlin Park, the Deputy makes a very good suggestion to consider a minor injuries unit as part of it. I will certainly pass that on to the Minister for Health and the HSE.

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