The new elective hospital will be developed on the old St Stephen’s Hospital campus in Glanmire.

Major breakthrough for new Cork elective hospital in Glanmire

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A planning application has officially been lodged for Cork’s long-awaited new elective hospital.

The news comes just days after an agreement was reached with landowners to allow construction of a new access road to the site at the old St Stephen’s Hospital campus in Glanmire.

Originally proposed in 2018 as part of the National Development Plan, the project has endured a number of false starts since, with road access being one of the main obstacles.

With a planning application now lodged with Cork City Council and with advanced design works already complete, it is hoped the site will be “shovel-ready” by 2030.

The proposed plans for the four-storey hospital include ten operation rooms, seven endoscopy suites, and nine day-case theatres.

Welcoming the major breakthrough was Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, Pádraig O’Sullivan who played an integral role in bringing the HSE and landowners together for discussions over the access arrangements.

Deputy O’Sullivan said: “Today is a good day for the people of Cork. We have been talking about this hospital for far too long, and it is very welcome to see real progress being made on the ground."

It is hoped that the construction of a new hospital in Cork city would greatly help to alleviate overcrowding and long waiting times at both CUH and MUH.

“Cork needs this hospital,” said Deputy O’Sullivan.

“Our acute hospitals continue to face enormous pressure, and providing dedicated capacity for elective procedures will be an important part of improving how healthcare is delivered across the region.

“The people of Cork have been waiting for this project for years. We have seen plans come and go, but today’s progress gives us a real opportunity to move from talking about the hospital to actually delivering it,” said the deputy.

With the planning process now officially off the ground, Deputy O’Sullivan said he would continue to engage with the HSE, Cork City Council, and the government to ensure the project maintains momentum.

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