I want to raise St. Luke's General Hospital in Kilkenny. It is a level 3 hospital with over 1,200 staff and is the seventh biggest medical centre in Ireland serving a catchment area of around 200,000 people. I am looking for an update on the new CT machine, which is vital to support patient flow. A second CT for St. Luke's will result in no downtime and allow specialised tests to be completed on-site reducing the need for patients to be transferred to another hospital, which results in long waiting times for appointments. A strong business case has been put forward and submitted for a new 86-bed accommodation block for the Dolmen wing, including 14 critical care beds, 72 single rooms, a laboratory and a pharmacy. I am looking for a commitment that this wing will be prioritised and delivered as a matter of urgency. St. Luke's is part of the HSE Dublin and South East region, but it currently has no dermatologist, no rheumatologist, no neurologist and no child psychologist, yet they all exist as part of HSE south east. I am looking for a commitment that the Government will engage with the HSE Dublin and South East for a realignment of some of those staff to Kilkenny.

I thank the Deputy for a comprehensive question on St. Luke's in Kilkenny. It is a hospital I know well and have been in many times. I note a number of works have been carried out there, from a capital point of view, including the extension to radiology, the provision of a new MRI, which was completed in 2022, and the new 72-bed replacement medical ward block. I am told the replacement of the existing CT scanner was completed in 2024. An acute inpatient bed capacity expansion plan is due to be completed this year.

The HSE capital plan is due very shortly, probably as soon as next week. There will then be an opportunity to update on what is next in the pipeline of projects. There are a number of projects, including mental health facilities. The new 50-bed acute mental health unit, ACHU, is at appraisal stage.

I will ask the Minister for Health, once she receives the HSE capital plan, which will probably be next week, to update the Deputy on the specific projects he referenced. I will also follow up with her on the specific specialties the Deputy said are required in the hospital.