Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, the Government, along with the Department of Health, remain fully committed to improving services in Limerick, the mid-west region and across the entire country. I believe that only recently the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and the Taoiseach, met with the elected representatives in that area.

It is very clear that after what has been a very difficult couple of years for the University Limerick Hospitals Group significant efforts are being made to ensure that issues such as delays to elective care are being addressed as matters of priority.

Deputy Leddin referred to the situation in the past few weeks and the perfect storm we had of three viruses: we had Covid, flu and RSV. We saw unprecedented overcrowding, and especially in University Hospital Limerick. As I have said, there has been, and there continues to be, substantial investment in the University Limerick Hospitals Group, of which the Deputy is very much aware.

To conclude, a capital submission for the development of a 150-bed facility at St. John's Hospital has not been received. I am not sure if that is going to be progressed. The Department has not received it as yet. I will certainly bring the Deputy's comments on what he has said. The Deputy has spoken about Limerick so eloquently, and the fact that it had the sprawl and now it is moving back in. I will certainly bring the Deputy's concerns to the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. I thank the Deputy.

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