A five person delegation from the HSE West’s regional health forum will meet the Minister for Health in Dublin at the end of the month.
Galway councillors Mary Hoade, Padraig Conneely, and Terry O’Flaherty, as well as Mayo councillor Michael Kilcoyne and Clare councillor and chairperson of the forum, Tom McNamara, comprise the group who will meet Minister Simon Harris on March 21.
They will outline their concerns regarding the overcrowding situation at University Hospital Galway’s emergency department and will highlight the need for funding for a replacement facility.
Speaking at a meeting of the forum at Merlin Park Hospital on Tuesday Cllr Hoade (FF ) said she previously requested that a delegation would meet the Minister. Since that last meeting Minister Harris had visited UHG but “regretfully” he did not meet the group, she said. However, since then he has agreed to meet them and the meeting will take place in two weeks, she outlined.
She asked if the Minister had formally committed to the new ED project and if so, wondered what timeframe was involved.
Ann Cosgrove, the chief operating officer with the Saolta University Health Care Group, said the replacement ED is on the capital programme and was included in the new capital plan. However, no money had been allocated.
In the wake of the Health Minister’s visit funding was approved to finance the design stage of the process which will take place this year.
