'Deeply alarming': Emergency department wait times in Kildare called out

It follows a statement from the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question from Sinn Féin

By Ciarán Mather Published 4th Aug 2026, 16:00 BST 'Deeply alarming': Emergency department wait times in Kildare called out | FILE PHOTOGRAPH / PIXABAY It follows a statement from the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question from Sinn Féin Sign up to our Kildare Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Kildare Live within your account.

Hospital emergency department wait times in County Kildare , as well as wait times in other counties, have been called out by a TD.

Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh , has said that new Health Service Executive ( HSE ) figures expose the continuing crisis in Ireland’s emergency departments , with almost 28,000 patients spending more than 24 hours in emergency departments during the first six months of this year.

In addition, almost 59,000 are leaving emergency departments without being seen.

TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Sinn Féin) | FILE PHOTOGRAPH The figures, which were released by the HSE in response to a Parliamentary Question which was submitted by Sinn Féin, show that between January and June 2026:

Speaking about the newly-released information, Deputy Ní Raghallaigh referred to the figures as being ‘deeply alarming’.

The Deputy also asserted that the figures ‘should concern everyone’.

Read More 32 new homes could be coming to this Kildare town PREVIEW: Milltown and Larries among top contenders for Kildare Intermediate title Kildare learner driver caught travelling well over twice speed limit A feast for your eyes: August art exhibition taking place in well-known Kildare shopping centre The Kildare Town -based representative explained: “In just six months, almost 28,000 patients were left waiting in emergency departments for more than 24 hours.

“In Naas General Hospital , the average waiting time is 13 hours, with over 75's waiting over 15 hours on average.

“1,400 left the Kildare hospital emergency room before they were seen at all; this is not good enough.”

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh continued: “These figures represent sick people, many of them older and vulnerable patients, who were left waiting for more than a full day for the care and hospital bed they needed.

“At the same time, almost 59,000 patients left emergency departments without being seen; that is an extraordinary number of people walking away without receiving the assessment or treatment they came for.”

She also said that older people in Kildare and beyond are being hit ‘particularly hard’ by wait times: “Almost 9,500 patients aged 75 years and over spent more than 24 hours in an emergency department during the first half of this year.

“Staff working in our emergency departments are doing everything they can under enormous pressure; they cannot compensate for years of government failure to deliver enough hospital beds, step-down beds, community services and properly staffed alternatives to emergency departments.

“In 2024, the Government published a comprehensive hospital bed expansion plan which promised almost 3,000 net additional acute hospital beds by 2031.

“However, the government did not provide the full capital funding required to deliver that plan; the Government announced the beds but did not put a credible, fully funded delivery programme behind them.

“On the current trajectory, the plan will not be delivered.”

Read More Kildare Death Notices for today: Tuesday, August 4 2026 'Heavy thundery downpours' on the way as six counties hit with weather warnings Kildare GAA Fixtures for the week ahead New building proposed for grounds of Kildare GAA Club Deputy Ní Raghallaigh elaborated: “This failure has consequences; it means patients remaining on trolleys, older people waiting more than 24 hours for admission, cancelled procedures and overcrowded emergency departments.

“Emergency department overcrowding is not simply a winter problem or the result of occasional surges in demand.

“It is a permanent capacity crisis which now exists throughout the year.”

The Deputy further said that the government ‘must fully fund and accelerate the hospital bed plan’.

“It must also invest in step-down beds, home support, community care and the workforce required to open and safely staff additional capacity,” she added.

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh concluded by claiming: “Without urgent action, patients and frontline healthcare workers will continue to pay the price for the government’s failure to properly plan, fund and expand our health service.”