Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 June 2026
293. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to outline a detailed progress report on the minor injuries unit for Killarney, County Kerry; when work will commence on this facility for Killarney, east and south Kerry; the length of time it will take to complete; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44628/26]
View answerFollowing a review of all Injury Units by a HSE Working Group, a series of recommendations was submitted to improve their functionality. An Injury Unit review carried out by a HSE Working Group compiled a list of recommendations, which was adopted by the HSE EMT and has been shared with my Department.
The aim of IUs is to provide unscheduled emergency care for patients with non-life threatening or limb threatening injuries. This in turn will free up capacity in Emergency Departments and ensure that patients get the best possible care in the most suitable setting.
Two recommendations emerging from the 2023 National Review of IUs were 1) to expand geographical coverage and prioritise locations for the provision of Injury Units, and 2) to expand all existing acute hospital governed IUs to operate from 8am to 8pm.
An implementation plan for the expansion programme is under development with the Implementation Group and the expansion of IUs will be underpinned by a safe model of care as recommended by the Emergency Medicine Programme. The criteria for this prioritisation included population, existing IU locations, and gaps in geographical coverage for the entire population, with more detailed work ongoing to confirm specific locations.
In relation to the particular query raised regarding an Injury Unit for Killarney, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the deputy directly.
