PLANS for a new private hospital in Limerick have moved forward with the local authority announcing that their preference for the proposed site is to have the hospital and 108 new houses.
Last November, Limerick City and County Council sought expressions of interest in building up to 600 houses on the council-owned land at Coonagh.
But, according to Green Party councillor Sean Hartigan, council members have now been told that the preferred option will be for 108 housing units and a private hospital developed in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC).
Commenting on the decision in a twitter post, Cllr Hartigan said talks on the building of the new hospital are ongoing and discussions are underway with UPMC for the provision of a second emergency department for the city.
He was responding to Labour Party leader and health spokesperson Alan Kelly, who said that any elective hospital should be publicly built, publicly owned, and based on one of the region’s existing health campuses.
The Taoiseach said: “Keep it simple, we need elective facilities. Where we have State land to provide those elective facilities, we should provide these elective facilities. There is a myriad of interest in health. I don’t understand why the State shouldn’t go ahead and develop and get these things done.”
Not-for-profit group UPMC are proposing a private hospital, but one which the public would have access to.
Announced as part of a wider €400 million project, the plan is for a 200-bed hospital and a medical training and research centre.
