Appropriate healthcare services in the Mid-West cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought by government, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice said:
“Option C – the development of a Model 3 hospital with an emergency department in the Mid-West region – cannot be put on the long finger.
“Another ED is urgently needed, not a vague commitment to look at this option at some point down the line like we are hearing from government today.
“While it is welcome that option A and B are being progressed, option C cannot be sidelined.
“Options A and B propose expanding capacity at University Hospital Limerick on the Dooradoyle site and developing a second site nearby – but this alone will not address the needs of the entire region.
“It’s now been three years since HIQA first stated that the absence of a Model 3 hospital in the region significantly impacted the effective workings of Limerick’s ED – UHL continues to operate under extreme duress.
“The government has been sitting on HIQA’s report for months now, despite there being major issues in the region for almost two decades now.
“The Mid-West is the only region in the country without a Model 3 hospital – this must be addressed as a matter of urgency. An incremental strategy will simply not suffice.
“We also need to know how much capital funding will be allocated to the Mid-West.
“Communities in this region have consistently been let down and left behind – and after today’s announcement, they will have more questions than answers.
“At the very least, people in the Mid-West deserve to be informed about what exactly is happening in their health service – the Minister must provide real clarity instead of today’s evasiveness.”
December 16th, 2025