Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2022
671. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a proposal for a Section 38 hospital on a council-owned site in Limerick; the engagements that he has had with a private healthcare provider (details supplied) regarding this proposal; his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59035/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, Limerick City Council and members of the Limerick 2030 plan have engaged with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) on developing lands in a Limerick regeneration area. Limerick City Council sought UL Hospitals to meet with UPMC to outline the specific health needs of the Mid-Western region. However, in the context of any proposal, including a proposed model of a Section 38, there are a number of important strategic, practical, legal, public procurement and financial considerations which would need to be considered.
While I have not directly met with UPMC, Department officials have met with the private hospitals, including UPMC in the context of additional capacity as part of the State’s response to Covid -19 and in the context of the waiting list reduction plans. Furthermore, to the extent that there is a determination that the State requires additional capacity in a specific location, consideration would have to be given to expanding existing local facilities directly, or developing plans for procurement. This is the case where the State has recently invested in a number of capital projects in UL and also has plans underway to invest to build further hospital capacity.
