The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad, as always. Balbriggan is the youngest and fastest-growing town in Ireland. It has a population of over 26,000 and is expanding. A lot of housing is going into Balbriggan at the moment. The wider catchment area has a population of over 63,000, including the towns of Skerries, Lusk and Rush. It is the furthest town in Dublin from a hospital, sitting at 32 km from Beaumont Hospital. A minor injuries unit is badly needed in the town of Balbriggan. I attended a very well attended public meeting on Monday night in Balbriggan organised by Balbriggan Community Council. The strong message from the people of Balbriggan is that a minor injuries unit is needed without further delay.

A primary care centre was opened in 2018. The minor injuries unit would be ideally located there to look after sprains, broken bones, minor burns, sports injuries, cuts and wounds. That was promised for the primary care centre in 2018. Other services are located in the primary care centre but there is spare capacity. GP services, a public health nurse, physiotherapy, community mental health services, speech and language therapies and a number of other services are currently provided in the building but there is capacity. I believe the children's disability service is moving from this location to a separate location because it is expanding, which is very welcome. That will free up extra capacity within the primary care centre building.

We know healthcare delivered closest to the community is best for people. It is the most cost-effective way to deliver healthcare. It is one of the core principles of Sláintecare, as the Minister of State would know. The reduction of unnecessary hospital trips is a core aim, with as much healthcare delivered close to home in the community and patient-focused, which will also reduce costs. We know fractures are increasing as the population gets older. If an older person suffers a fracture, it could be very distressing for them to have to travel 32 km to the emergency department in Beaumont Hospital to get it taken care of when they could attend a primary care centre with a minor injuries unit in their own town. That is what we want delivered for the people of Balbriggan. As I said, Balbriggan is the youngest town in Ireland.

We know young people get all sorts of bangs and fractures through sport and playing. For the convenient provision of healthcare in the community, a minor injury unit would work well in the town of Balbriggan and to serve the population of 63,000 people in the other towns in its hinterland. This unit needs to be delivered. We need to take people out of the likes of Beaumont Hospital and out of emergency departments; cut down on costs, ultimately; and deliver healthcare in the community.

I thank Senator Clifford-Lee for raising this important issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

This Government remains fully committed to delivering healthcare reform under the Sláintecare framework, ensuring that people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. A key part of our hospital-avoidance strategy is the continued development of injury units. Injury units provide safe, convenient care for non-life-threatening injuries such as broken bones, sprains and burns, as the Senator spoke about. They deliver the same level of care for these conditions as an emergency department, but closer to home and with significantly shorter waiting times. Last year, there were 222,697 attendances at injury units, a 5% increase on 2024. The median patient experience time, PET, remains exceptionally low, at just 1.3 hours. To the end of May this year, there have been 95,803 attendances nationally, a 1% increase on the same period in 2025, and the PET has improved further to 1.2 hours.

The Balbriggan primary care centre already provides a wide range of integrated services, including primary care therapies, specialist teams for older people, chronic disease management and mental health and disability services. It also hosts two GP practices and a pharmacy. The Minister is committed to expanding capacity in primary care by recruiting additional staff and supporting advanced practice roles in the community. The HSE completed a national injury unit review in 2023 to assess service levels and geographical coverage. This review informed the 2026 national service plan, which includes new units in Tallaght, Athlone, Carlow and Ballina.

In relation to the Senator's request for a minor injury hub in Balbriggan, I must advise that there are currently no plans to open an injury unit there. The focus of the 2026 service plan is on the four new units previously identified. However, the HSE continues to review expansion needs and is working to future-proof the system by standardising opening hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week across existing sites. Residents in Balbriggan currently have access to several options for non-life-threatening injuries, including the Mater Smithfield rapid injury clinic in Dublin 7 and Connolly Hospital emergency department, which includes a dedicated nurse-led minor injury unit. The Department and the HSE will continue to monitor population growth and geospatial needs to ensure that our urgent care footprint evolves in line with the needs of communities like Balbriggan.

The Government and the Minister remain committed to the implementation of the national cancer strategy and to building on significant investment and progress already made in improving outcomes for patients in Ireland.

I am very disappointed to hear the response from the Minister of State. I know there are no current plans to open a minor injury hub in Balbriggan. The Minister of State referred to Tallaght, Athlone, Carlow and Ballina, but we need to look to the future and the population demands. For the people of Balbriggan, the Smithfield rapid injury clinic and Connolly Hospital are even further away than Beaumont Hospital. It is completely unacceptable that a large population in north County Dublin is left without a basic service promised back in 2018. It is no good to the people in Balbriggan, Lusk, Rush or Skerries to hear that Tallaght, Athlone, Carlow and Ballina are getting minor injury units. We need one.

I am going to engage with the Minister of State and the Minister to make sure Balbriggan is put on the agenda for the next review. I suppose the tiny light at the end of the tunnel is that the HSE continues to review expansion needs. I am going to be advocating and making a very strong case until we deliver a minor injury unit for Balbriggan.

I thank the Senator. I understand the importance of minor injury units. They are critical. This Government remains committed to ensuring patient services and safe, timely and convenient care are provided in the right place at the right time. That is so important.

Last year, as I said, the injury units saw over 220,000 attendees, a 5% increase on 2024. This reflects growing public confidence in this model. Injury units continue to provide a fast and efficient pathway for non-life-threatening injuries. While, as we said, there is no plan now for a stand-alone minor injury unit for Balbriggan, the opening hours are being looked at. That is important. It is proposed that they would be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

I know what the Senator said in relation to opening new units in Tallaght, Athlone, Carlow and Ballina.

People are not going to be going up to County Mayo for a fracture.

I understand. I do. In the meantime, Balbriggan primary care unit continues to play a vital role. I compliment everybody involved in that unit. We understand that these units and injury clinics are so important. They deliver integrated services from chronic disease management to older persons specialist teams to mental health and disability supports. As we all know, people are living longer, so it is important they can access services nearer to home and their communities.

The Department and the HSE will continue to monitor the population trends and service requirements to ensure that urgent and emergency care services evolve to meet the needs of the people in Balbriggan. The Senator can be sure that I will be speaking to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on this issue. It is important that we have injury units and clinics. While Balbriggan has a very good service, it is important that the situation is monitored.