Upgrades planned across Donegal health services as key projects enter 2026 milestones

Progress continues on 27 capital projects across Letterkenny University Hospital and Donegal healthcare facilities to expand capacity and services.

2026 will see the completion of several projects, including the Letterkenny Community Nursing Unit, which is due to be finished in the third quarter of the year.

The Falcarragh Community Nursing Unit 35-bed refurbishment is also due for completion in early 2026 and refurbishment on the Buncrana CNU is due to begin in the same quarter.

Design work on a new ambulance base in Buncrana is expected next year, which involves the renovation of an existing old HSE health centre at Maginn Avenue.

The 25 bed Community Nursing Unit in Lifford and a new Primary Care Centre are expected to move into the design phase during 2026. Negotiations are ongoing to purchase the site from Donegal County Council. 

Detailed design of the Donegal Hospice extension will also be completed next year, with construction expected to begin on the new suites by the end of the year. 

It is expected that the Development Control Plan for the Letterkenny University Hospital will be finalised in the first three months of 2026. This plan will include ambulatory, oncology and a surgical hub which was given the green light in July. The project will then proceed through the design work-stages and onto tender and construction.

The HSE reports that Donegal’s healthcare infrastructure is seeing substantial investment in 2025, with anticipated minor capital expenditure surpassing €4.5 million.

Receiving the update on capital investment projects in Donegal at the Regional Health Forum, Councillor Ciaran Brogan praised the “huge amount of work ongoing.”

Cllr Brogan stressed the importance of the timeframe on the Development Control Plan at Letterkenny University Hospital, adding that he was also “delighted to see progress moving nicely with the Community Nursing Unit for Lifford and the Primary Care Unit for Lifford.”

St Conal’s Hospital campus in Letterkenny will see continued investment in 2026. 

The project involves redeveloping the building to create a permanent administrative hub. The move will allow all administration services to relocate from the main St Conal’s building to allow for its refurbishment. It is proposed that Tusla will also relocate to this building. This step is at ‘options appraisal’ stage.

A new 2,824sqm Enhanced Community Care (ECC) hub is also on the way for St. Conals on the Letterkenny Campus. The hub is currently in options appraisal stage and a design team is expected to be appointed around mid-2026. This will house integrated care for older people, for chronic disease and diagnostics facilites. Another 200sqm extension is planned for the existing Chronic Disease Management Hub at St Conal’s and this is due to go to tender in 2026. 

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Construction on an extension of the renal unit at Letterkenny University Hospital is expected to begin by the end of next year and increase capacity from 14 patients to 21.

Several more community-based projects will also advance next year, including the Old Girl’s School in Carndonagh, Ballinacor in Killygordon and Cavan Lower and Mol an Oige in Stranorlar. A planning decision is due in December 2025 relating to the purchase and refurbishment of a residential dwellling at Tiernaleague, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal for four residents. The refurbishment of the Ramelton CNU continues.