A proposed 116-bed private hospital on the grounds of University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) is due to go to tender early next year as part of Health Minister Mary Harney's controversial co-location initiative.
The construction of the new hospital on the campus of the existing public hospital is being strongly opposed by Labour and Fine Gael members of the HSE West regional health forum.
Progressive Democrats TD Noel Grealish has welcomed Harney's confirmation that the planned provision of 116 new beds at UCHG is progressing quickly. He said a site had been identified on the UCHG campus for the new private hospital which would be leased to a developer at the full commercial rate.
Deputy Grealish has strongly defended Harney's plan to increase the number of beds for public patients in public hospitals from attack by other political parties, including Labour.
"A large number of expressions of interest have been received for the tender process to build and operate a private hospital on the UCH Galway site and the HSE is now in the process of evaluating proposals and short-listing bidders," he said.
He said it was hard to believe that Labour was turning its nose up at the initiative which would result in at least 116 private beds being freed up for public patients in Galway.
Members of the Fine Gael and Labour parties, including Catherine Connolly, Colm Keaveney and Fidelma Healy Eames and Bridie Williers, expressed their vehement opposition to the Minister for Health's co-location plans at a recent meeting of the HSE West Regional Health Forum.
Healy Eames said she believed this "outrageous" plan needed to be resisted at all costs.
