On many occasions I have raised in this House the situation concerning the dire conditions in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. Unfortunately, the situation seems to be getting progressively worse. The Minister for Health has committed to setting up a surgical hub in the mid-west to alleviate the pressure on UHL. I raised this by way of parliamentary question last February and the Minister told me at that time that the project was going ahead and that meetings were taking place about it that very week. Nine months have elapsed since I got that response. What I want to ascertain today, on behalf of the hard-pressed people of Limerick and surrounding districts, is when we are going to see this hub. When is it going to actually be in operation? We are on the verge of yet another winter of discontent in relation to trolleys, waiting times, and delays in UHL. When are we going to see this hub in operation and where is it going to be located?

I will have to make inquiries with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I know the surgical hubs around the country, including in Limerick, are going ahead and they were funded in the budget for 2024. I do not think they will alleviate emergency department overcrowding by much but they will help people who are on waiting lists for elective treatments. We are keen to have them up and running because they work where they exist. What will help with the overcrowding is the development of the 96-bed block but that cannot come quick enough.