Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Connolly. In the interests of time, I will take her comments on board with regard to the roads and their accuracy. It is important all of those processes are followed.

As for University Hospital Galway, I welcome the fact that HIQA carries out inspection reports, publishes them and shines a light on areas on which we need to continue to try to make progress. HIQA holding our feet to the fire is a good thing, in terms of learning the lessons of the past with regard to health services in Ireland. The inspection reporting function exercised by HIQA is an important tool as well. I know the Minister is committed, as is the HSE, to engaging directly with the hospital group and with University Hospital Galway in relation to the latest HIQA report.

While I do not wish to frustrate the Deputy because she told me not to talk about this or that in my answer, and I understand that point, it is somewhat of a jigsaw because the investments we are making to try to develop services in Merlin Park and decouple certain services that are, let us call them, non-emergency or non-acute, are an important part of increasing capacity and improving patient flow in the hospital.

Deputy Connolly asked directly about staffing. Staffing at the hospital has grown by 751. There was a total of 3,787 staff in the hospital in 2020 compared with a total of 4,538 staff now. Staffing has grown in University Hospital Galway by 20%. There are 121 more nurses and midwives, as well as 46 more medical staff. The budget has also grown for that hospital, going from €398 million in 2020 to €496 million in 2024, which is a 25% increase. Bed numbers have grown too, as 30 new beds have been opened at University Hospital Galway, meaning bed numbers have risen from 684 in 2020 to 714 in 2024. Under our hospital bed expansion plan, a total of 247 new and replacement beds are due to be delivered to University Hospital Galway out to 2031, of which 198 of them will be delivered between now and 2028. Staff numbers have grown, the budget has increased, bed numbers have grown and are due to grow much further.

As the Deputy rightly said - I will just mention it in passing - the cystic fibrosis unit and the outpatient department at Merlin Park University Hospital opened only last week. The importance of that, apart from the incredible care for cystic fibrosis patients, is that it will enable the transfer of outpatients services to Merlin Park. That will allow the hospital to progress the planned work on the new emergency department. In the lifetime of this Government we have seen the new radiation oncology facility, a new cardiothoracic ward and the opening of the temporary emergency department.

The Deputy referenced my time in the Department of Health. One of the things we talked about back then was the delivery of the elective hospital. The elective hospital is now being planned at Merlin Park. The design brief is currently being completed and, crucially, it is due to receive patients by 2027. I accept and know when I go to Galway that there is a lot more to do with the hospital. We now have, however, a clear plan in terms of the development of services between the current site and the Merlin Park site.

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