Galway Bay fm newsroom - The HSE has admitted that there's no exact timeline for replacement orthopaedic theatres at Merlin Park.
It's after a leaking roof shut the existing theatres at the hospital two months ago.
The matter was raised at HSE Regional Health forum level by forum chair Councillor Mary Hoade and her forum colleague, City Councillor Padraig Conneely.
A procurement process got underway at the end of last month in a bid to provide a temporary facility for orthopaedic procedures.
The HSE says it's meeting to assess the tenders this week and next - but it's impossible to put a firm timeline in place until it speaks to the contractors bidding to provide the facilities.
Speaking on behalf of the executive, Chief Operating Officer Ann Cosgrove said the process, by nature, is a slow one.
In the interim, patients are being facilitated at UHG where capacity becomes available.
In addition, minor procedures such as injections are being carried out at another theatre at Merlin Park.
Since the theatres closed, just one patient has been sent to a private hospital in the city to have their procedure.
