Statement from Minister for Health on healthcare services in the HSE Mid West Region
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 10 March 2026
- Last updated on: 10 March 2026
HSE acquisition of site in Raheen
On 30 September 2025, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), published its independent and expert review and advice to the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD informing decision-making around the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in the Mid West.
In December 2025, the Minister for Health received Government support for proposals to adopt a blended approach to the progression of Options A, B and C.
Today, Tuesday 10 March 2026, the Minister for Health announced that the Health Service Executive (HSE) has successfully secured a site in Raheen, Limerick.
HIQA’s review identified three potential options for consideration, including:
- Expand capacity at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) Dooradoyle site (Option A).
- Extend the UHL hospital campus to comprise the existing Dooradoyle site and another site (Option B).
- Develop a Model 3 hospital in the HSE Mid West, providing a second Emergency Department for the region (Option C).
Speaking today, Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“Following the Government decision, I immediately mandated the HSE to secure a suitable adjacent site for the expansion of the Dooradoyle campus in line with Option B. Today, I am pleased to announce that the HSE has successfully secured a site in Raheen, Limerick.
“This 44-acre site is located between Ballycummin Avenue and the Patrickswell Road, just 2km from UHL, Dooradoyle and provides a significant opportunity to provide meaningful additional capacity and health services to the people of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.
“We will now establish a project board, and they will judiciously consider what services we must have on that UHL site, which we can relocate nearby to this new site and which services we can relocate to Ennis, St John’s or Nenagh. I will be returning to Government later this year with a strategic plan for the services of the region.
“I am grateful to the HSE regional and national teams as well as officials from my own Department for their work. I look forward to continuing to engage with the many patient advocates, public representatives and healthcare teams to improve services across the Mid-West region.”
Speaking in Limerick today, Minister of State for Older People, Kieran O’Donnell TD said:
“The securing of this site near UHL by the HSE is a very positive development. It will provide much needed additional capacity and health services in Limerick and the Mid-West as recommended in the HIQA report.”
Notes
Progress on Option A of the HIQA advice is advancing at pace. Since January 2020, 278 new acute beds have opened across the Mid West, including two 16-bed rapid build units delivered in December 2024 and June 2025, and a 96-bed block opened by the Minister in October 2025.
236 of these beds are at UHL, leading to a significant reduction in trolley numbers.
Enabling works are now underway for a second 96-bed block at UHL, and further 16 and 66 bed blocks are in planning for accelerated delivery. In total, these projects will increase UHL’s capacity by 306 beds since 2023.
Across the wider Mid West region, a total of 420 additional beds will be delivered by 2031, including:
- 48 additional beds in Ennis by 2030/31.
- 42 additional beds in St John’s by 2031.
- 24 additional beds in Nenagh by 2029.
This is working towards delivery of what is needed according to the updated ESRI Capacity review of between 299 and 593 additional beds by 2040 in comparison to 2023 capacity. Further capacity is being provided by:
- An acute virtual ward went live in UHL in July 2024, and this has scaled to now provide for 40 virtual beds.
- The Limerick Surgical Hub is expected to be operational in Q4 2026.
- Medical Assessment Units are extending service. Opening hours have been extended from 8am to midnight in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals.
Overall, significant progress has been made in the HSE Mid West Region on both waiting lists and waiting times.
When compared to December 2021, the current total waiting list at HSE Mid West Region has reduced by 24% to 52,300.
The average length of time that patients on lists have been waiting has reduced from 15 months to just over six months in the same period.
To progress Option C, the Minister and Department of Health will develop a strategic plan for the incremental reconfiguration and expansion of healthcare services across the Mid West.
The Minister remains focused on ensuring that the recommendations arising from HIQA’s assessment are implemented in a timely and coordinated manner, and that people in the Mid West have access to safe, high quality, and reliable care.
Investment & Staffing
- Investment in the hospitals in the Mid West region has increased from €370 million in 2019 to €689 million in 2024. The UHL budget has increased from €265 million to €507 million in the same period.
- The Capital Investment drawn down since between 2020 and 2023 for the Mid West region was almost €142.2 million. €90.6 million was assigned to UHL.
- Staffing at the hospital has grown by 56 % since December 2019. This includes 321 more WTE doctors (including consultants), 597 more nurses and midwives, as well as 190 more health and social care professionals.