Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Seanad has heard that there is no date in sight for when a planning application might be lodged for a new emergency department at UHG.
The issue was raised by Senator Sean Kyne, who pointed out that an application was originally supposed to be lodged as far back as Christmas 2018.
Speaking in response, Minister Frank Feighan offered it is a very complex project that remains at the early stages of design progression.
One reason for the long running delays is the expansion of the original project brief, from a dedicated ED to a larger unit incorporating a new ED, as well as maternity and paediatric services.
Minister Feighan said work is ongoing, enabling works are taking place, and there are ongoing pre-planning discussions on the project.
However, he was unable to give any certainty as to when a planning application might be lodged and indicated that milestone is still a considerable time away.
Senator Kyne told the chamber that it's depressing to see such a long-running lack of progress on a very badly needed facility:
