Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Last week when the Minister, Deputy Harris, was here in the Chamber, he referred to the budget for this year, of €14.6 billion, as being the highest ever health budget. He also referred to the distress of patients and their families and the impact to the staff caused by cramped and overcrowded conditions and high numbers of patients on trolleys. University Hospital Limerick has been to the forefront in media coverage for having the highest number on trolleys and overcrowding in the accident and emergency department for quite a while.

I am aware that the new accident and emergency department in University Hospital Limerick is due to open in May 2017. The go-ahead was also received last week to go to the design stage for 96 acute beds. At the same time that this application was put in for the 96 beds, St. John's Hospital in Limerick, which is part of the University Hospital Group as well, made an application for the replacement of 90 beds within the city centre in Limerick. There are currently 99 beds in the hospital. Ten are for people in need of medical procedures and ten are day care. St. John's Hospital was built in 1780 as a fever and lock hospital. It is the second oldest hospital in the country, after the Rotunda, which is still on the original site. The application was included as part of the University Hospital Group application to the national capital development fund. Both were put on a priority list at the same time.

To solve the problem around waiting lists, overcrowding and the accident and emergency department in University Hospital Limerick, we need to expedite this at the same time as the 96 beds for University Hospital Limerick. If we build these replacement beds within St. John's, it will be possible to expand the services. Some services currently operate out of prefabs. The hospital has been struggling for a while to provide services both for staff and patients in a safe manner. The staff have certainly done their very best. Their services are renowned and I compliment all involved who work there. The Minister will know, because he visited the hospital recently and saw it at first hand, the shortage and problems facing people there.It is not just for the people of Limerick. It is for the people of the mid-west as well because it is the main hospital. If the two could be put forward at the same time, it would help to expand services and create extra beds. It would also help to reduce waiting lists if more beds were available for day-care procedures in different services. It is mainly medical, gynaecological and general medical assessment that is carried out there. There is also an injuries assessment unit. They are the main services provided in the hospital. It would also lead to job creation because of the proposed expansion. If the two could happen in tandem it would be great.