€24M for local health projects
Substantial funding of almost €24M has been assigned in the HSE’s Capital Budget for healthcare projects in Cavan and Monaghan in 2026, with a major expansion plan at Cavan General Hospital receiving a welcome financial boost.
Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith described the announcement as “very substantial” for what it will deliver for the two counties. He said it will lead to “much improved facilities locally”, which will benefit patients accessing services and healthcare staff who are sometimes treating patients in “inadequate accommodation”.
A €10M allocation will drive forward the proposed ‘Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan’, delivering a new multi-storey extension housing a state-of-the-art Endoscopy Unit, 56 additional beds and the long-awaited relocation of the Emergency Department. This project will soon go to tender.
Design work is also advancing for a major Oncology Unit expansion - increasing capacity by 70%.
Meanwhile, a new €2.5M ECC Hub, located just inside the hospital gates, will anchor integrated programmes for older persons and chronic disease management. This is set to go to detailed design.
Plans to redevelop a replacement Adult Acute Mental Health Unit are also being progressed.
Several community care projects will also be pushed forward with new funding allocated.
Construction is already underway on an €8M redevelopment of St Christopher’s Hospice, with delivery expected in late 2026. The project will create a 16-bed specialist inpatient palliative care unit, a dedicated palliative care hub, education and bereavement services.
Design feasibility is progressing for a new Primary Care Centre in Ballyconnell, while essential fire safety upgrades are planned for Virginia Community Health Centre.
Elsewhere in the plan, refurbishment of the former Liberty Insurance building (design feasibility) in Cavan Town will continue, and in Monaghan, refurbishment works at St Mary’s in Castleblayney are set to move to construction, alongside plans for a new respite house on Ballybay Road in Monaghan Town.
Local representatives have hailed funding boost and the scale of ambition set out in the plan.
Fianna Fáil’s Brendan Smith described the announcement as “very substantial” for what it will deliver for the two counties, saying it will lead to “much improved facilities locally which will be beneficial for patients accessing services and also the staff providing this healthcare, sometimes in inadequate accommodation.”
Modern facilities he said will provide “great benefits for patients and are also essential for healthcare staff in their work. This investment will benefit patients throughout Cavan and Monaghan.”
Fine Gael Senator Joe O’Reilly called the €23.5 million allocation “welcome news that will help bring healthcare services closer to home and better meet the needs of patients and families in our community.”
Nationally, Minister Carroll MacNeill declared: “By expanding capacity and building the right physical and digital infrastructure… we are advancing the Sláintecare vision to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”