University Hospital Galway A&E
Deputy Connolly said Galway's A&E remains substandard and has seen repeated false starts on a new unit. The Tánaiste agreed, said the Government would respond to the hospital board's work, and indicated further progress would be addressed in the national development plan.
The accident and emergency unit at University Hospital Galway has been the subject of much political commentary for many years. Many taoisigh and health Ministers have recognised the facility is not meeting the needs of the large population it is designed to serve and it is of a substandard nature. The Tánaiste will be aware of his own time as Minister for Health. The facility is now in a temporary facility. There have been many false dawns for the progression of a new accident and emergency unit in Galway, most notably in 2019, when, at the point of a planning application, a change in direction for the site was recommended. In autumn 2023, a Galway university hospital capital programme oversight board was established to develop a masterplan for major capital projects on the Galway university hospital site. We found out earlier this week that the capital oversight board will conclude its work next month and it will present a development plan for the use of the university hospital site from now until 2045. Such times can cause concern. As the Tánaiste will be aware, there are immediate needs. My ask is that the Government would capitalise on the work of the oversight board by providing the necessary resources and actioning the outcome of its work in a time-efficient and determined manner. I specifically ask that progressing the development of a new accident and emergency unit and increased bed capacity would not become entangled in bureaucracy and procedures or frustrate the people and continue to see people receive healthcare in inadequate facilities.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy. He is entirely correct. I know it from my time as health Minister. We all know it and the Deputy knows it well. It is an issue of great stress and concern to people in Galway and the west and, indeed, to people having to work in the hospital, and do amazing work but in substandard infrastructural conditions.
The Government will respond in kind to the good work that has been done by that board set up in the hospital. We have already been clear on a number of projects and we will have an opportunity in the national development plan to be published in July to show further progress too.