Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 January 2026
80. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to provide a full update on the new 83 bed paediatric wing at Cork University Hospital; and the estimated timeline for construction and completion. [4681/26]
View answerCork University Hospital (CUH) is proposing a number of projects of significant scale which, when complete, will provide state-of-the-art Model 4 hospital facilities. Our acute campuses deliver a wide range of essential services and therefore require a clear, coherent master planning approach to sequencing and phased expansion to ensure successful and optimal delivery. Development Control Plans (DCPs), shaped by clinically informed regional priorities, will enable the advancement of a pipeline of projects positioned for delivery. The DCP for CUH is nearing completion by the HSE. Phase 2 of the paediatric wing forms one of the initial steps in this wider development of the CUH campus.
Phase 1 of the new Paediatric Department at CUH has been delivered and operational since 2017, providing dedicated paediatric outpatient accommodation, including dedicated facilities for paediatric cystic fibrosis outpatients.
Phase 2 of the project proposes 82 paediatric inpatient beds. The HSE advises that it expects the project to proceed to tender shortly, with construction to commence in Q4 2026.
Enabling works for the project are already underway. Phase 1 of the enabling works began in 2024 and are expected to be completed in Q1 2026. Phase 2 of the enabling works, which consists of the demolition of an existing ward and storage wing, is scheduled to be begin in Q2 2026 with a duration of approximately 3–4 months, ahead of the main contract works beginning.
The programme and timeline for completion of the new paediatric wing can only be determined based upon the contractors’ tender returns and the contractor ultimately appointed.
