Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On 21 February, HIQA made an unannounced visit to University Hospital Limerick. The press release about the report arising from that visit stated:

The emergency department remained very overcrowded with 72 patients on trolleys and chairs ... This level of overcrowding continued to impact on the privacy and dignity of patients...

Obviously, that is unacceptable. The Taoiseach may or may not be aware that St. John's Hospital in Limerick, which is a hospital in the city centre with an outstanding reputation, has for some time made an application for funding to build an extra bed block. That would considerably alleviate the situation at UHL. It would also improve the beds-to-population ratio in the mid-west, which is the worst in the country by some distance. Has a decision been taken yet on the St. John's application? If not, when can we expect one?

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