Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD and Minister of State for Older People Kieran O'Donnell TD have welcomed the awarding of a contract to deliver a new 96-bed inpatient ward block at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), marking another step in expanding capacity at the hospital.

Following a competitive procurement, the Health Service Executive (HSE) awarded the contract on 16 June 2026 to John Sisk & Son for the delivery of the second 96-bed building, known as 'Block B'. It follows the successful completion and occupation of the first 96-bed ward block in 2025 and two rapid-build 16-bed units delivered in 2024 and 2025.

The project supports the Government's Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan announced in May 2024, aligns with Programme for Government commitments to increase capacity across the Mid West, and reflects consideration of Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) recommendations on urgent and emergency care in the region.

Welcoming the development, Minister Carroll MacNeill said: "I know how important this project is for patients, staff and families in Limerick and across the Mid West. The award of this contract is another important step forward to increase much-needed inpatient bed capacity for the region. The 128 beds we have opened since the end of 2024 have already made a very positive contribution to UHL and the people of the Mid West, and the 'Block B' ward block will continue those positive improvements."

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Minister O'Donnell said: "The awarding of the contract for the construction of the second 96-bed inpatient ward block marks a further significant milestone in the provision of additional bed capacity at University Hospital Limerick and will deliver enhanced healthcare services for patients, their families and staff in Limerick and the Mid West region."

In addition to two new 16-bed units already in place and the 96-bed block opened in October 2025, a further 16-bed unit is due to complete this year, and a design team has been appointed for a 66-bed block. Across Ennis, Nenagh and St John's Hospitals, a further 114 beds are planned by 2031, bringing the region's total expected increase to 420 beds.

The HSE also secured a 44-acre site at Raheen, Limerick, in March 2026 following a ministerial mandate issued in December 2025. Located around 2km from UHL, the site provides scope to extend hospital capacity across two locations in line with HIQA advice and to enhance services for people in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.

Minister Carroll MacNeill added: "My priority is to ensure that HIQA's recommendations are delivered in a timely and coordinated way, and that people in the Mid West can rely on safe, high-quality care when they need it."

The 'Block B' contract includes a four-month Pre-Construction Services period to complete detailed planning and design coordination before the main works commence. On-site construction is due to start in October 2026, with completion targeted for Q4 2029.

The 96-bed facility will integrate with existing hospital infrastructure alongside the recently opened Bed Block A. Works on a shell extension forming the podium for the new block are due to finish in Q3 2026. Extending to approximately 10,500 square metres, the scheme comprises an enclosed plant floor at Level 02 and a four-storey ward block above (Levels 03–06) with 96 acute ensuite single inpatient bedrooms arranged as four 24-bed wards, plus a roof plant at Level 07 and associated external works.

Since January 2020, 278 new beds have opened across acute hospitals in the Mid West, including 236 at UHL. Two rapid-build 16-bed units were delivered at UHL in December 2024 and June 2025, and the 96-bed Bed Block A was officially opened in October 2025. The 96 beds now being constructed at UHL form part of national plans to expand acute inpatient capacity and to implement a blended approach to HIQA Options A, B and C, alongside the Raheen site purchase and the establishment of the Mid West Region Strategic Board to develop an integrated care plan for Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary.