John Sisk & Son has been awarded a contract by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to construct a new 96-bed ward block at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), with a four-month pre-construction phase now under way and main works scheduled to begin in October 2026, as reported by The Irish Post.

The Irish Post reported that the contract for the new Block B ward was awarded on 16 June and will deliver additional inpatient bed capacity in line with the Government's Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan, announced in May 2024, as well as Programme for Government commitments to increase capacity and open more beds across the Mid West.

A Department of Health spokesperson confirmed the project will mark the second 96-bed ward block extension on the UHL campus in recent years, following the completion and occupancy of the first 96-bed ward building in 2025, alongside two 16-bed rapid builds delivered in 2024 and 2025. Completion of Block B is expected in the final quarter of 2029.

Once complete, the new ward block will be fully integrated with existing hospital infrastructure, with the new wards positioned directly adjacent to the recently opened Block A wards.

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the award of the contract was another important step forward in increasing much-needed inpatient bed capacity for the region, adding that the 128 beds opened since the end of 2024 had already made a very positive contribution to UHL and the people of the Mid West.

Minister of State for Older People Kieran O'Donnell said the contract award marked a further significant milestone in the provision of additional bed capacity at University Hospital Limerick and would deliver enhanced healthcare services for patients, their families, and staff in Limerick and the Mid West region.

The project also takes into account all recommendations made by the Health Information and Quality Authority regarding the provision of urgent and emergency care in the region.

Access the full contract announcement and project timeline here.