Irish Examiner view: Worrying focus on the capital city

Large projects based in Dublin are swallowing HSE funds 

The commitment of €1.33bn to building projects in 2025 was approved by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill this week, who went on to describe the amount as 'a record' spend. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

News of the HSE capital spending plan is particularly welcome this week, given the global uncertainty sparked by the tariff war created by US president Donald Trump. The commitment of €1.33bn to building projects in 2025 was approved by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill this week, who went on to describe the amount as “a record” spend.

However, drilling into the detail is a sobering experience. It should be pointed out immediately that the plan for national surgical hubs, a key element of this spending allocation, has been an utter shambles ever since it was announced in 2022.