Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Tanaiste has admitted in the Dáil that it's 'not possible' to defend spiralling orthopaedic surgery waiting lists at Merlin Park Hospital.
More than two thousand people are now awaiting surgery - with the long running delay stemming from the closure of two theatres in September 2017.
While one has since reopened, plans to replace the second facility with a new modular building have collapsed - and must go back to the drawing board.
A consultant orthopaedic surgeon recently warned Galway TDs in a letter that waiting lists are at unprecedented and catastrophic levels.
Speaking in the Dáil last evening, Galway West Deputy Catherine Connolly demanded that Simon Harris get directly involved:
Speaking in response, Tanaiste Simon Coveney suggested the situation is that not simple - and the Government is bound by procurement guidelines.
However, he did admit the process is not 'rocket science' and the timelines involved can not be defended.
