Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
383. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health when she will appoint a project board to lead the development of the new hospital campus at Raheen Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47842/26]
View answerThe Minister and her officials are working to establish a Strategic Board to provide strategic direction and oversight of the development of a comprehensive plan for the organisation of services and investment in Limerick and the HSE Mid West Region to ensure a sustainable, region-wide model of care.
The strategic plan will have regard to progressing a blended approach to the three options presented by HIQA, as approved by Government in December 2025.
The Minister has said on record that she has identified a Chair and that there is a body of work to be done before she assembles the Strategic Board over the summer.
At the end of June, the Minister met with the Mid-West Regional Patient and Service User Council in this regard and will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure there is a good balance of regional, clinical and patient representation on the Board.
The Raheen site, acquired by the HSE in March 2026, provides a significant opportunity to provide meaningful additional capacity and health services to the people of Limerick and the Mid-West. It also aligns with Option B in the HIQA report, which provides for the extension of the University Hospital Limerick campus to include an additional adjacent site.
The extension of UHL to Raheen must therefore be carefully considered by the Strategic Board as part of its work to determine regional needs and consider opportunities across the entire region to better serve the healthcare needs of the people of the Mid West.
The strategic plan will determine which services must remain on the UHL Dooradoyle campus, which can be relocated to the new Raheen site, and which are appropriate for transfer to Ennis, St John’s, or Nenagh.
At the same time, significant work is continuing with respect to expanding capacity at the existing site, and across the region (Option A).
Since January 2020, 278 new beds have opened in acute hospitals across the Mid West, 236 of which are at UHL.
On 18 June the Minister for Health announced the contract for a new 96-bed inpatient ward block at University Hospital Limerick.
This will be the second 96-bed ward block to progress on the UHL campus, following the successful completion and occupancy of the first 96-bed ward building in 2025, along with two 16-bed rapid builds in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
An additional 16-bed unit is due for completion by the end of this year, and a design team has been appointed for a 66-bed block.
The Minister remains focused on ensuring that the recommendations arising from HIQA’s assessment are implemented in a timely and coordinated manner, and that people in the Mid West have access to safe, high-quality, and reliable care.
