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12 Oct 2025

'The people deserve transparency': Clare TD to host meeting on new hospital for the Mid-West

Deputy Cooney has invited all Mid West Oireachtas members and Chairpersons of local authorities in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary to attend

'The people deserve transparency': Clare TD to host meeting on new hospital for the Mid-West

This meeting will be held on the same day that the new 96 bed block at University Hospital Limerick will open

Reporter:

Ellie McCarthy

12 Oct 2025 9:33 AM

A meeting to establish consensus for a new acute hospital for the Mid West region has been announced by Joe Cooney TD.
Deputy Cooney has invited all Mid West Oireachtas members and Chairpersons of local authorities in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary to this meeting. 

It will take place on Monday morning, October 13 at 8am in the South Court Hotel, Limerick. The meeting will be held on the same day that Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD is scheduled to open the new 96 bed block at University Hospital Limerick.
READ MORE: Clare motorist banned following crash which left pedestrian 'pinned' between two cars

Deputy Cooney has been quoted as saying that "a divided response in favour of one option over another is unlikely to deliver a solution in the short term and will not best serve the communities they represent." It was also said that while the initiative is welcome, this meeting and much of the political commentary since HIQA's announcement, has overlooked the driving force that came to this point, the communities themselves.
"It was the people who refused to accept the neglect of healthcare in the Mid West.
"It was the people of Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary who rallied, organised, protested and refused to give up the fight for safe and accessible health care.

"Let's not forget it was our politicians, who for years told us that they were guided by 'experts'. 'Experts' who repeatedly stated we did not need additional hospital capacity in the Mid West."

The TD stated that it was many of these same voices from across Government and some opposition, who in 2022 were strong advocates for an 'elective' hospital (without an Emergency Department) in the region. The hospital in question is a private hospital on the Clare/Limerick border, located in Limerick.

"The people deserve transparency, honesty and a publicly funded hospital system that meets the region's needs. We do not want or need another private hospital.

"Respect, Dignity, Openness and Inclusivity for all!

"Healthcare solutions must serve all," Mr Cooney's statement concluded. 

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