Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has said the decision to open two new surgical hubs in the north west region is based on the data available and not "anything political".
The plans will see the construction of a new surgical hub close to Sligo University Hospital, while at Letterkenny University Hospital in Co Donegal, a new surgical hub is proposed along with expanded oncology services.
It comes after regional HSE management had previously identified a site in Sligo as the sole preferred option for a new surgical hub in the north west region.
That decision was strongly criticised by Donegal-based clinicians, who subsequently met with Minister Carroll MacNeill and raised their concerns with her in relation to "population need and geographical logic".
Minister Carroll MacNeill has now given her support to the opening of two new surgical hubs, following a proposal from the CEO of the Health Service Executive (HSE), Bernard Gloster.
Such surgical hubs allow for the delivery of day-case surgeries and minor procedures.
Speaking at Letterkenny University Hospital this afternoon, Minister Carroll MacNeill outlined her reasons for backing the opening of a hub in both Donegal and Sligo.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said: "I appreciate that some of the narrative got hold that decisions had been made, but I have never made any decision until this weekend, when I got a business case from the HSE recommending two hubs, and I made a decision on that basis.
"But I would say that my engagement in Sligo was very important, but my engagement here (in Donegal) was exceptionally important.
"Being here on the 1st of May was very important. Listening and working with all of my Oireachtas colleagues and my ministerial colleagues. Everybody here, I met them, we talked to each other, we listened to each other.
"I also had two very good meetings with the clinicians here, and I think all of those meetings were very, very important in not just understanding the need today, but understanding how surgery is developing and changing, understanding the demographic development of this region, the particular geographical pressures, and also seeing how impactful it is to deliver services locally, as we see in the Errigal hub, just just across the way."
The minister then went on to say: "This was the right decision, not because of a series of meetings, but because, from a data perspective and from a planning for the future perspective, this was just the right decision.
"It's not anything political. This is the right thing for Donegal. This is the right thing for the north west. And I hope that we will see the benefit of these two surgical hubs, delivering for people to get quicker surgeries within a very short time."
The Minister for Health also added that her hope is for both hubs to be operational within two years.
The plan, which has been given the green light today, will see the construction of a new stand-alone two-theatre surgical hub in Sligo.
The Department of Health has said the facility will significantly expand elective surgical capacity in the region, and it will help reduce waiting times and improve access to scheduled surgical care.
Meanwhile, a new two-theatre surgical hub will be built beside the existing Letterkenny University Hospital building, along with the addition of 30 ambulatory day oncology chairs - 15 new and 15 replacement.
The Department of Health has said this dual investment will enhance both surgical and cancer treatment services in Co Donegal.
The design of the new surgical hub in Letterkenny will also allow for future vertical expansion, addressing the long-term need for additional bed capacity in the region.
The HSE will now begin drawing up planning applications for both sites, which will be prepared in parallel and include engagement with Donegal and Sligo County Councils.
Áine Keating, a consultant in emergency medicine at Letterkenny University Hospital, and Pádraig McGuinness, a GP based in Fánaid in Co Donegal, are both members of the Surgical Hub Campaign Team, who previously met with the Health Minister.
Mr McGuinness said: "It's an incredible day for Donegal, it's an incredible day for this hospital. The surgical hub for us is a statement of intent, I guess, by the HSE, and certainly by the Minister that this hospital is here today, but also this hospital is going to be the best that it possibly can be, and the hub is the first step in that process.
"The Minister has always been data-driven with us. She always wanted the facts and figures. She drills down into them with deep, deep detail, and by doing that, she could clearly see that the need was here for a surgical hub in Letterkenny and in Sligo.
"At the start of this campaign, we always said the best outcome here is one in each town, and we're going to have one in each town now, and that means the patients from this county won't be travelling long distances for their health care for the years to come."
Meanwhile, Ms Keating said: "This was a data-driven decision. We presented to her (the minister) in two very effective meetings, where she listened to the compelling arguments and the compelling data that we had shown her about the health care needs in Donegal; that we have a massive population, a very busy hospital that we need to sustain and to maintain services here. And through that, she has been able to deliver a surgical hub for us here in Letterkenny."
Ms Keating went on to say that the campaign group will now turn its attention towards trying to get the surgical hub over the line in a time-effective manner, and it will be working closely with management throughout this process.
Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer for the HSE west and north west Tony Canavan, said the hubs will be "really important" in terms of reducing the waiting lists for elective procedures in counties Donegal and Sligo.
Mr Canavan said: "These surgical hubs would mean that we would be able to treat patients much more quickly and with much greater degree of certainty."
"In Letterkenny, the hub that we're proposing to develop will also include day beds for people that are receiving oncology treatments, 15 brand new beds and a replacement 15 as well.
"That will mean that people from Donegal can receive their chemotherapy close to home, and would be able to plan for that into the future as well."
Mr Canavan also admitted that it will be a "challenge" to staff the new surgical hubs.
He said: "There's no doubt it will be a challenge to staff all of these existing and additional services. That said, we have a model in place because we're developing surgical hubs in other locations around the country.
"We will be using that model as a basis on which to work from for both the hub here in Letterkenny and the one in Sligo."
The HSE classes a surgical hub as a facility which deals with "high volume, low complexity" elective procedures, treatments and diagnostics.
Such elective procedures include biopsies, endoscopies, steroid injections, carpal tunnel treatment, tonsillectomies, cataract treatments, varicose veins treatments, hernia repairs and other keyhole surgeries.
Once operational, each surgical hub is expected to deliver over 28,000 day-to-day cases, minor operations and outpatient consultations every year.
