Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for her very precise and clear presentation of the needs in the north east in respect of acute hospital services. It has long been a significant issue, going back decades, in terms of location and so on. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has been the acute centre and has emerged as the acute centre over that period. There has been substantial investment in both Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Louth County Hospital over the past five years, in particular. There have been significant extensions added to the adult and paediatric emergency departments, 84 new single rooms and a state-of-the-art theatre suite with five operating theatres in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Both hospitals are planning for population growth. There is not just a growing younger population, but a growing population of over-75s as well.

The Deputy has correctly identified some of the developments taking place in Louth Count Hospital such as the ENT theatre access, the EuroFlow clinic that was introduced and now the new procedure room, which will open in 2026. The Minister is listening and I do not want to take over her portfolio but throughout the country, we have been looking at how we can bring services to elective facilities. We have done this in many places around the country to reduce the burden on the major acute and tertiary centres. That work is ongoing. There is a lot that can be done, for example, endoscopy and various other services that can be rolled out, if the space is available.

Regarding surgery, it is important to have the required skills and a critical mass in terms of both volume of patients and the multidisciplinary teams that are required to deliver optimal surgical services in given hospitals. I am familiar with both hospitals. The surgical units are a relatively new concept. They are under development. I take the Deputy's point that the north east does not seem to be in the plan, but over time, that is something that can be looked at. Recently, we made proposals for the north west. They are all at an embryonic stage of development. Where they are developed, they work very well. We will continue to examine this and keep it under review. I understand the reasons she is putting forward this proposition.

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