Limerick politicians unite in cross-party call for immediate action to meet healthcare needs

ALL 10 of Limerick’s Oireachtas members have called on the Minister for Health to meet with them to hear a cross-party proposal about delivering increased capacity at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) quickly, on foot of the HIQA report into urgent and emergency medical care. 

The group of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil ministers, Sinn Féin and independent TD’s and Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin senators, have come to a consensus on the options presented by HIQA, to improve services in the Mid-West.  

They have met with the HSE Mid-West senior management, as well as the HSE Patient and Service User Council, which represents 420,000 patients from across the region. 

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The Oireachtas members believe that a combination of all three options from the HIQA report would deliver the best outcome for urgent and emergency care in the Mid-West, but that one option in isolation won’t be enough. 

Option A, involves expanding capacity at the existing University Hospital Limerick (UHL) site in Dooradyle. 

Option B from the report would extend UHL to include another associated hospital site in close proximity to UHL, while Option C would be to develop a Model 3 hospital in the Mid-West to include a second Emergency Department (ED). 

The politicians believe that the 96-bed block “must be progressed as a matter of urgency and be completed before 2029.”

In their letter, seen by the Limerick Leader, they say: “However, any further expansion beyond this plan at the existing UHL site is neither feasible nor deliverable given the site’s extreme congestion. 

“Furthermore, Option A alone will barely deliver what is necessary for the very short term, will clearly not futureproof healthcare services across the Mid-West region and would deny its citizens of a standard of healthcare comparable to that of other health regions in the country.”

They add that the maternity hospital needs to be relocated without further delay. 

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“It is therefore our view that you should immediately direct the senior management team of the HSE Mid-West to identify and acquire a suitable new site, along with a fully costed and time-bound delivery plan, prioritising bed block delivery in tandem with proposed capital investment in clinical infrastructure, to be submitted no later than 1 April 2026. 

“This would clearly demonstrate to us as elected representatives, and to the public, your intention to deliver Option B in a timely manner.”

The group of Oireachtas members have also called for a hospital development board to be set up, to prepare a comprehensive plan for the development of a new hospital in the region. 

“Viewing the three options contained in the HIQA report as a suite of measures, rather than choices, offers the only pathway to restoring hope and achieving equity in healthcare for future generations here in the Mid-West,” the joint letter states. 

They add that ambulance provision in the Mid-West also needs to be looked at, in terms of shortfalls for the large areas in the outlying areas of the region. 

“Furthermore, we seek that National Ambulance Service staffing and vehicle levels are increased, along with associated infrastructural development, to ensure a safe, appropriate level of service for the region.”

“The undersigned firmly believe these are the only viable actions available to you: to acknowledge that the previous reconfiguration has failed the people of the Mid West, to recognise the hardship that has been endured by our citizens, and to accept the policy shortcomings of the past, there must be no further delays.”

The letter was signed by Fine Gael Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Fianna Fáil Minister Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea, Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan, Independent TD Richard O’Donoghue, Fine Gael Senator Maria Byrne, Sinn Féin Senator Joanne Collins and Fianna Fáil Senator Dee Ryan, along with representatives from Tipperary and Clare. 

They have requested that the minister meets with them as soon as possible, before making any decisions about HIQA and their recommendations.