Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned on behalf of my constituents and the people of the mid-west that the planned 96-bed inpatient block and the 60-bed interim accommodation solution, both promised for University Hospital Limerick, could be put at risk or delayed because of the overrun in the national children's hospital capital project. Our hospital was consistently at the top of list for numbers of patients on trolleys last year. It was the only hospital in the country that had more than 10,000 people on trolleys in one single year. It is at the top of the list again to date in 2019. This cannot be allowed to go on and I want an absolute assurance that there will be no delay, prevarication or hold up in the appointment of staff because the current situation is intolerable for patients and their families, as well as for the people who work in the emergency department. Statistically, the mid-west has been under-served with beds in comparison with other regions, as illustrated by figures published recently. That is why Limerick is consistently at the top of the list when it comes to trolley numbers. This issue must be addressed and prioritised. I want a clear answer to the effect that progress on both projects will be maintained to deliver the beds that are so urgently required in the mid west.

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