Sinn Féin TD for Clare, Donna McGettigan, has called on the new government to prioritise investment in the mid-west hospital and healthcare system, pointing out that the trolley and overcrowding crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) continues to get worse and worse.

Teachta McGettigan used her maiden speech in the Dáil to represent the people of Clare by highlighting the challenges for local communities in accessing safe and timely care.

Teachta McGettigan said:

“The mid-west has been left behind for too long. Urgent and critical investment is needed in our hospitals, including Ennis as well as Limerick, to deliver safe and timely care for our communities.

“There were more than 2,200 people left on trolleys and chairs at UHL in January this year, and a further 260 in Ennis, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. That is an increase of 400 across both hospitals compared to January last year. That is unacceptable.

“It is clear that a second emergency department is needed in the Midwest. I welcome the clarity given to me by the Tánaiste today that the HIQA review of emergency care will report to government in May.

“We need a positive move from government to deliver a second emergency department, and I will be working to make sure that the hospital in Ennis is upgraded.

“I have written today to hospital management asking what plans they are putting in place to prepare for the possibility of becoming a model 3 hospital with an emergency department.

“The hospital will need more staff, equipment, and capacity. The hospital needs to have a plan to hit the ground running.”