Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to discuss the capital plan and for his announcement last Monday. I welcome all the investment he announced. I am passionate about University Hospital Limerick, the mid-west and improving things down there. I welcome the Minister’s recent announcement of a further 98 beds. That is most welcome. The hospital needs to look towards recruitment of staff. I understand how difficult it is to get staff in the current climate. They need to look outside and I would like to see that starting straight away. The jobs might be 12 months away but training and so on needs to happen by the time contracts are drawn up. I understand the Minister confirmed the other day there would be no drawback in terms of the project going ahead. There was some scaremongering that projects might be halted. Will he clarify that?

I have raised the better utilisation of St. John's Hospital with the Minister before. It is currently a Nightingale hospital. I spoke to somebody yesterday who got called for a procedure there during the week and is grateful for that. There is more we could do with that hospital. The small injuries unit there, since the hours were extended, has been busy and numbers are up. If that could be open 24-7, it would alleviate pressure on the accident and emergency in Limerick and the mid-west.

We have other hospitals in the area. The Minister announced investment in Croom and in the region but we need to look at the other hospitals. For example, cataracts are working extremely well in Nenagh. Are there other uses for Nenagh? Certain procedures are going to Ennis. There is quite a bit of scope.

A number of hubs for procedures were announced. I have raised this with the Minister already. Will work in Limerick start this year? University Hospital Limerick has to be at the top of the list for putting in those surgical hubs, particularly in light of the pressure it is under. The Minister has visited the hospital and knows exactly what I am talking about.

On children and mental health, since Covid there has been a huge acceleration in mental health issues in younger people and older people, especially the former. In the mid-west we do not have any beds for children with mental health issues. Will the Minister look at that matter? Will he also look at the services provided to the likes of the 5B unit? I know from a patient who is there and has been for quite a long time that they needed a hoist recently and there is no hoist in the 5B unit. There are other things. A speech and language therapist had to be brought in from another hospital. It is about utilising the services we have in a better way and spreading them around the system. I welcome the considerable investment announced in the capital plan. I look forward to working with the Minister.