WATCH: Taoiseach to meet with HSE CEO on new 96 bed-block for UHL
TAOISEACH LEO Varadkar is to meet with the CEO of the HSE regarding a new 96 bed-block planned for University Hospital Limerick.
Work is currently underway on a 96 bed-block at the hospital and plans were announced earlier this year for a second block of the same size.
In January, Mr Varadkar told the Limerick Leader that he expected plans to be published for the second block by Easter, however they have not yet been released.
Speaking in Limerick on Monday, Mr Varadkar said he was due to meet Bernard Gloster, the new CEO of the HSE later that evening and the new block was on his agenda.
"Work is ongoing on the first block and we are keen to get that completed. It is very badly needed in the region.
"We are also keen to see that additional investment made. UHL is a good hospital and gets good patient outcomes but it faces huge capacity issues.
"It has seen investment in recent years, there is levels of overcrowding there that are not acceptable to me or anyone else".
Mr Varadkar was in Limerick on Monday for the announcement of a €630m investment in a new facility at Analog Devices in Raheen.
The company will also create an extra 600 jobs at its European headquarters in Raheen - bringing the total workforce to more than 2,000.