Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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90. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of urgent care clinics (details supplied) and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51127/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for his question.

There are currently 15 injury units in operation nationally which can be accessed by the general public. They treat injuries that are not life-threatening and are unlikely to need admission to hospital.

They can help with many of the injuries people go to the emergency department for. For example, broken bones, dislocations, minor burns, x-rays, plaster casts, and wound care can all be treated in an injury unit.

As such injury units play an important role in supporting Emergency Departments by reducing unnecessary attendances at Emergency Departments.

This Government is committed to further reducing Emergency Department overcrowding and enhancing emergency and urgent care services nationwide, as set out in the Programme for Government.

As Minster for Health, my key priority is to provide a 7-day health service to the public. The provision of fully integrated teams across community and acute services is key to delivering safe and timely care in the most appropriate setting over seven days. The provision of injury units throughout the country is a key element of this.

This year will see the standardisation of the opening hours of injury units to ensure a consistent 7-day service from 8am to 8pm and the delivery of two new injury units in Athlone and Carlow.

Catherine Callaghan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Health the progress at transforming the health service into a seven-day-a-week service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52186/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Demand for health services and emergency department (ED) attendances is at an all-time high, driven by population growth and changing demographics. While we’ve invested heavily and increased health system staffing by over 24% since 2020, our focus must now shift to maximising that investment—delivering care efficiently, where and when it’s needed.

People do not just get sick during working hours Monday to Friday. As Minister I am committed to delivering a seven-day health service, ensuring people can receive the care they need when they need it.

Expanding to seven-day operations means having senior decision-makers on site evenings and weekends, improving patient flow, extending diagnostics, reducing waiting times and trolley numbers, and offering community-based alternatives to hospital care.

At a recent workshop with HSE leaders from acute and community settings, we reviewed progress on implementing POCC provisions and seven-day working. The meeting marked a key step in preparing for full rollout across health regions.

Encouraging results are already emerging. EDs have seen reduced trolley counts and conversion rates despite rising attendances—Letterkenny University Hospital reported a 24% year-to-date drop in trolley numbers. Weekend consultant presence is enabling earlier discharges and shorter stays; in the Midwest, weekend discharges rose over 50% in July 2025 compared to July 2024.

Expanded theatre and diagnostic access is boosting capacity, cutting cancellations, and accelerating urgent and scheduled care. Outpatient waiting lists have fallen significantly, with most regions meeting or exceeding national targets. At the Mater Hospital, Saturday specialist reviews saw 1,815 patients, with 546 discharged the same day—reducing average stay by 0.5 days.

I will continue engaging with each region to monitor delivery. The priority now is implementation—activating key services during evenings and weekends to ensure patients receive timely, appropriate care.