Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will not be surprised that I raise the matter of University Hospital Limerick, as 2019 was a really difficult year in the hospital. There were 13,941 people on trolleys in 2019, which was an increase of 22% on the terrible year of 2018, when 11,000 were on trolleys there. In a recent interview in the Limerick Post, the chief executive officer of University Hospital Limerick was quoted as saying that the group was short of 150 beds. A 96-bed block is being designed but is awaiting funding before proceeding to planning. I have spoken about this 96-bed block since I was elected in 2016 and it is distressing to hear we are awaiting funding before we even get to planning.

Today there were 35 people on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, and this was the highest number in the State. Unfortunately, the facility has had the highest number on an almost daily basis. We saw a 25% increase in the numbers on January of the previous year, and in February we saw a 32% increase in the numbers for the previous year. March was headed that way again until Covid-19 came and the numbers on trolleys collapsed. These people disappeared but did not get better. They are still out there and we will still have a problem. There is a big concern about whether the hospital will cope next winter if there is a resurgence of flu or Covid-19. We cannot go back to the position of 2018 and 2019. There were incredible scenes, with 92 people on trolleys one day at the hospital, which was an absolute disgrace.

The staff in the hospital have done a tremendous job before and during the Covid-19 crisis, and I hope they will continue to do it after the pandemic. I understand the new 14-bed block will be completed in July and a 24-bed unit will be completed in August.

Those are very welcome. In terms of my questions, will they be operational and completed? What additional staff were recruited for these units? Have job offers been made? What is the status of another build, a 60-bed modular unit? When does the Minister see that being completed, staffed and operational? What is the status of the 96-bed unit I mentioned? Is there any update on that?

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