Dee Ryan to fast-track Surgical Hub planning within 6 months of taking office

Dee Ryan, Fianna Fáil candidate for the Directly Elected Mayor of Limerick, has today promised to create a sprint problem-solving team upon her election to work on fast-tracking key infrastructure projects in the county.

In setting out her priorities and vision for the future of Limerick, Ms Ryan has pledged that her first key project will be to deliver on the promised Surgical Hub at Scoil Carmel in Limerick city.

Speaking today, Ms Ryan said: "It is absolutely unacceptable that year after year, month after month and week after week, we hear that Limerick has the worst overcrowding in the country. The distress, discomfort and delay experienced by patients and their families attending the A&E in University Hospital Limerick is wholly unacceptable.

"We cannot wait any longer for the promised Surgical Hub at Scoil Carmel to commence. We saw the huge benefit of this premises during the pandemic when it was used as a regional vaccination hub, so we know that it works well as an off-site medical centre.

"Fast-tracking this hub will be a hugely important step in relieving pressure on UHL. If elected to the office of Directly Elected Mayor on 7 June, I promise to hit the ground running to ensure that the planning delay is resolved within 6 months through the creation of a dedicated sprint problem-solving team."

Though she welcomed the investment announced by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly last week to address the overcrowding issues in UHL and the extension of services in Nenagh, Ennis and St John's, Ms Ryan underscored her commitment to ensuring that Limerick gets the services it requires.

She said: "While I will guard the essential and independent role of the Planning Department, we also need a Mayor who will deliver results - I am promising this. The people of Limerick have my word. I intend on replicating this sprint problem-solving team model for other key strategic projects throughout the city and county tackling housing and rampant vacancy issues, better roads, parks and public spaces, with the overall focus of supporting people and communities."

-ENDS-