Ó Murchú slams health service gap in Louth

Some of the problems facing the health service in Louth were highlighted by Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú during a debate in Leinster House about the 2025 Health Bill.

The Dundalk deputy focused on the need for digitalisation and said staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda are doing “a huge amount of work and are under severe pressure.”

He said: “It is down to the number of people and the number of cases - sometimes complex cases that should be elsewhere - that there is severe pressure there.

“There are individual cases where sometimes they are dealing with a system that is not computerised as it should be. That is even in regard to communications between GPs and the hospital and notes taken in the hospital, particularly in the emergency department.

“That does not make any sense whatsoever in 2025.

“More hospital beds are needed, along with additional step-down facilities in Louth.”

Focussing on Dundalk he said: “We would like to see delivery on the primary care centre. It is not just about the primary care centre; it is about those community pieces related to everything from mental health services right through.”

He continued: “If I am talking about mental health services, I must mention we are still awaiting delivery on the ten-bed extension to the Drogheda department of psychiatry, DDOP, in Crosslanes. That would only provide Louth-Meath with, I think, 14.1 beds per 100,000, which is way below the State average, and the State average is not particularly good.

Read Next: Planned road closures across Louth for safety and resurfacing works

“I have spoken to the Minister before about the pieces of work that need to be delivered in Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, regarding orthodontics. It is hard not to mention last night's debate on endometriosis.

“Recently, I and many others went to a meeting organised by Sinn Féin in my constituency and I was absolutely shocked. It was very similar to an awful lot that was said here.

“I am taken aback by the number of emails and contacts I have had from constituents about their personal plight since that debate. That is an issue we need to see delivery upon.”