150-bed ward block moves forward as part of €5bn UHG redevelopment

Plans for a new 150-bed ward block at University Hospital Galway have moved a step forward, as a pre-application consultation has been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Published 12th Oct 2026, 06:00 BST HSE Plans for a new 150-bed ward block at University Hospital Galway have moved a step forward, as a pre-application consultation has been lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála. It is the latest development in the €4- €5 billion redevelopment of the UHG campus, which includes 300 additional acute beds, a new Emergency Department, maternity facilities, critical care and surgical facilities, cancer services and new laboratory facilities.

The pre-application consultation was lodged on September 25 and a decision is expected by February 8 next year. A pre-application consultation takes place ahead of a formal planning application.

Sign up to our Connacht Tribune Today daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Connacht Tribune within your account.

It allows issues relating to the proposed development and the requirements for a future application to be considered in advance. The HSE plans to build two new ward blocks at UHG, each providing 150 acute beds.

One proposed block would contain 150 beds along with space for future diagnostic facilities, while the second would provide a further 150 beds and space intended to accommodate future maternity services.

A design team was appointed earlier this year to progress the two ward blocks.

Galway hospitals spent nearly €4m on interpreters and translators since 2022 Surge in number of patients waiting for endoscopies at Galway hospital At the time, UHG Hospital Manager Chris Kane said additional capacity was needed as demand at the hospital continued to increase.

“UHG is one of the busiest hospitals in the country and attendances continue to grow,” she said.

She said patients can face “unacceptably long wait times” during periods of high demand and described the delivery of the 300 additional beds as an “absolute priority” in addressing overcrowding and waiting times.

Construction of the two ward blocks is currently expected to begin in the first quarter of 2029, according to the HSE. No completion date has yet been specified.

The ward blocks are among a series of major projects proposed for the UHG campus under a development plan extending to 2045.

Surgery for 154 morbidly obese patients at Galway hospital costs HSE more than €2.2m Galway Ring Road update sparks fresh calls for fast tracking University Hospital The wider plans include a new Emergency Department, critical care and surgical facilities, replacement maternity and paediatric facilities, an ambulatory cancer centre, laboratory and radiology facilities and a permanent helipad.

The HSE has estimated the overall programme could cost in the region of €4 billion to €5 billion.

There have also been calls for the UHG redevelopment to be designated as critical infrastructure, which would give the project priority in State approval processes.

The Government announced the first nine projects and programmes to receive critical-infrastructure designation in July.

The Galway City Ring Road was among those included, but the UHG redevelopment was not part of the initial list. Further projects can be designated under the legislation.

The pre-application consultation now before An Coimisiún Pleanála relates specifically to a proposed 150-bed ward block at UHG.

The planning body's published case details do not specify which of the two proposed ward blocks is the subject of the consultation.