Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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641. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to upgrade Monaghan Hospital and re-introduce an accident and emergency department; his views on the concerns of the public about the lack of this service and delays in ambulance response times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27290/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Last year saw a number of new initiatives at Monaghan General Hospital, including:

- 18 new stepdown beds;

- a second endoscopy room;

- centralisation of Haemochromatosis Services for patients in the Cavan Monaghan Hospital Catchment area; and

- provision of a 3rd Ultrasound.

The RCSI Hospital Group advises that there are no plans to expand the Minor Injury Unit at Monaghan General Hospital. As you know, Cavan General Hospital provides 24-hour emergency critical care to adults and children in the region.

There has been significant investment in our National Ambulance Service in recent years. In 2022, the National Ambulance Service received its largest overall investment to date, €200.7m. This total includes €8.23m in funding for new service developments to further address capacity deficits in the service and will involve the recruitment of an additional 128 WTEs.