Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The HSE’s performance management and improvement unit led an intensive engagement with UHL team members throughout the summer in response to concerns about how the hospital was functioning. Progress has been seen in recent weeks, including the removal of ward trolleys and an overall reduction in admitted patients waiting on trolleys.

The Deloitte report, as the Deputy said, was commissioned by hospital management to carry out a review and that was published on 30 September. There is a bespoke site level plan for Limerick as part of the national winter plan.

It must be pointed out that 150 additional beds have been opened in UL Hospitals Group since 1 January 2020 - that is in two years - and 98 of these have been in UHL itself. A suite of 24 single rooms were completed on the UHL site, which operate as a dedicated haematology and oncology unit. A separate temporary building with a 14-bed single room block was also completed. A 60-bed block, which comprises four storeys with three inpatient wards of 20 en suitesingle rooms over basement level was opened in phases in late 2020 and early 2021. We are going to do everything we can to accelerate the capacity.

See this speech in context