THE Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital will be temporarily extended in the coming weeks to improve ambulance turnaround times and provide greater comfort for patients waiting on trolleys.
The announcement follows Tuesday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, where Councillor Gerry McMonagle said the current emergency department is “not fit for purpose”.
So far in 2026, the average daily number of patients attending the Emergency Department at LUH is 149, compared with 146 in 2025.
Currently, the department’s bed capacity includes two triage rooms, one mental health assessment room, 12 cubicle spaces, including two designated paediatric cubicles, four resuscitation spaces, and two minor injuries spaces.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Cllr McMonagle called for an extension to the current Emergency Department without further delay.
“We have known for a number of years that it needs a massive extension and development,” Cllr McMonagle said.
“It needs to be enlarged and still we are waiting for the Development Control Plan.
“If we’re honest, we’re talking three to five years before that will be complete, applications put in place, planning permission given and the extension built.
“I don’t know if we can wait that long in Donegal.”
Cllr McMonagle said Letterkenny University Hospital is among the top three hospitals with the highest number of patients waiting on trolleys.
“That is not good enough going forward,” he said.
“I know there is an awful lot of work being done there, and the staff are doing a fantastic job, but I think it is time we look for an extension of the Emergency Department without further delay.
“I don’t think we have to wait for a Development Control Plan, we already see on a daily basis, the demand for the Emergency Department.
“It is time we got our act together.”
Agreeing with Cllr McMonagle, Dermott Monaghan, Integrated Health Area Manager for Donegal, said the current Emergency Department at LUH does not meet the needs of the people attending it.
He also highlighted the importance of the Development Control Plan, which he expects to be completed in the final quarter of this year.
He said the plan will include a new Emergency Department for LUH, designed to meet demand for the next 20 to 25 years.
In the meantime, an on-site development is underway that will provide additional space, expected to be ready in six to eight weeks.
“In the interim, there is currently a development onsite being progressed that will produce additional space,” Mr Monaghan said.
The temporary structure being added to the current Emergency Department will help improve ambulance turnaround times while creating a more comfortable and functional space for patients.
