HSE postpones University Hospital Galway public consultation after objections to short notice and lack of engagement
The HSE has postponed the public consultation on the University Hospital Galway development after Galway City councillors objected to the short notice and the lack of prior engagement with the local authority.
On the evening of Friday, June 26, the HSE announced plans for a public consultation on the recent progress of the Development Control Plan (DCP) for University Hospital Galway, described as the “largest ever investment in healthcare infrastructure.”
The engagement sessions were scheduled to take place on July 1 and 2, giving the public less than a week’s notice.
However, on Monday, June 29, the HSE announced that the consultation had been deferred and would be rescheduled.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, Galway City Councillor Eibhlín Seoighthe said the deferment followed emails sent by herself and Councillor John McDonagh over the limited timeframe being given to local residents to review the plans and provide feedback.
Cllr Seoigthe said that neither she nor Cllr McDonagh had seen any progressed plans since the first DCP from 2025.
In their email, the councillors also requested that the HSE engage with the local authority’s chief executive as well as councillors to discuss updates to the DCP prior to rescheduling the public consultation.
Galway City Councillor Eibhlín Seoighthe
University hospital temporary helipad was instituted in 2013 with a six-month timeline. It now remains in use over 10-years later.
An HSE spokesperson told the Irish Independent: “While we had hoped to update the community on works underway this week, we have been requested to defer to allow a council briefing to take place in advance of public engagements. Our HSE Estates colleagues will now engage with Galway City Council officials to ensure this meeting is set up without delay.”
The HSE said it anticipates the public engagement sessions will be rescheduled in the coming weeks.
The 2025 DCP outlined a series of major developments for the hospital, including a new cancer centre, a new emergency department, enhanced maternity services, an additional 300 inpatient beds and a permanent helipad.
A temporary helipad installed in 2013 remains in use and located in Shantalla Park. Under the DCP, the HSE is seeking to acquire the park to establish a permanent helipad, with the preferred location identified as “land adjacent to the Seamus Quirke Road roundabout on a combination of HSE and Galway City Council-owned property.”
However, the proposal has prompted concern among some councillors and residents who argue that one of the city’s remaining green spaces would be lost.
“We are losing the park,” Cllr Seoighe said, adding that she would like to see an integrated campus design that retains green space while accommodating services.
The proposed helipad location features prominently in feedback gathered during the first DCP consultation process. According to the post-consultation report, the issue was referenced in 9pc of submissions.
Of the 130 responses received on the topic, 67 supported the inclusion of a helipad as part of efforts to improve patient care, while 11 opposed the proposal. A further 52 respondents were neutral or unsure, although the protection of green space and community amenities emerged as one of the consultation’s key themes.