Clare's Junior Minister says he's conscious that funding will have to be put in place to provide additional beds at the region's main hospital.
Clare's Junior Minister says he's conscious that funding will have to be put in place to provide additional beds at the region's main hospital.
The new emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick is due to be opened in May but CEO of UL Hospitals Group, Colette Cowan is looking for an additional 96-bed unit, which will require 2 million euro in seed funding.
Deputy Pat Breen has defended his Government's response to the trolley crisis, which last week saw over 600 people waiting for beds, saying funding has in the past been a major stumbling block in dealing with the issue.
He says measures are now being taken to deal with the overcrowding crisis, but while he acknowledges that funding is needed for the new unit, it will take a number of years to deliver.
Meanwhile, a public meeting, which was attended by over a hundred people in Ennis has heard calls for increased resources for the county hospital.
The crowd was addressed by a number of political representatives, including Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley, who believes proposals to deal with capacity issues in the region should include increased beds for Ennis.
