Still no date for construction of new Emergency Department at UHG

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – There is still no date for the construction of the new Emergency Department at UHG, the Government admitted this week.

Speaking in the Seanad on Monday, Galway-based senator Sean Kyne asked Minister of State for Public Health, Frank Feighan how much progress had been made on the design of the new building, which will also include a new maternity department and paediatrics unit.

However, Mr Feighan, speaking on behalf of the Government, said he was unable to give a date for when construction might begin on the new ED, or even quantify how much progress has been made on its design.

The Fine Gael senator asked: “Has Saolta given a timeline for this project? Why are we still waiting? Is the project being stalled purposely or is genuine progress being made? Is the design 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 99% complete? Is Saolta ready to sign-off on this project? Is it awaiting national estates to give it the go ahead? Is it waiting for Department of Public Expenditure and Reform approval?

“We have heard all the talk of major plans elsewhere in Galway in Merlin Park yet a project that has stood up to the options appraisal carried out by Saolta with the consent of the Department has indicated that the existing site at UHG is the preferred site for an ED.

“This has been in every national plan for God knows how many years, yet no planning permission has yet been lodged,” said Senator Kyne.

Meanwhile, in the Dáil on Wednesday, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West, Mairéad Farrell, said the Government must act to prevent a return to pre-pandemic levels of overcrowding at UHG.

“Over the past two weeks, UHG has consistently been the most and second most overcrowded hospital in the country, and this is with non-Covid related admissions. It needs the proper facilities to deal with the level of demand moving forward,” she said.
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