The reduction in chaplaincy hours at University Hospital Galway is a matter “outside the control of the Diocese” and is not due to a reduction in the number of priests being provided to UHG.
It emerged in recent days that the hospital is to cut its chaplaincy service budget meaning that those who die between 9pm and 9am will not be guaranteed the last rites. It means there is no service after 9pm.
The Connacht Tribute reports that it has learned that some patients who died unexpectedly overnight at the hospital in recent months were not given the Last Rites due to a “rationalisation of the service by the HSE to comply with employment legislation.”
The family of a patient who died recently at UHG without getting the Last Rites told the regional paper that they were “extremely upset” that their loved one was denied the sacrament because they were admitted in a critical condition after 9pm, and told the chaplain was unavailable until 9am the next day.
One parish priest in County Galway, familiar with the issue, suggested to the paper that there was a HSE policy of “de-prioritisation” of pastoral care at the hospital, which is the largest in the region.
Earlier this month, the HSE confirmed to the Irish Independent that it has stopped providing 24-hour Roman Catholic chaplaincy services at one of the country’s biggest hospitals in May 2025 to comply with employment legislation. Yet, the move came to light in the media and online in recent days, prompting worry that those who die during the night will not have access to the Catholic sacrament.
Fr Diarmuid Hogan, Diocesan Communications Officer, told Gript that the decision was made despite no reduction in the number of priests being provided to UHG.
“The Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora continues to provide the same number of priests to the Chaplaincy Services at University Hospital, Galway as it has for many years.
It is entirely committed to doing so into the future.” Fr Hogan said in a statement.
“UHG’s recent reduction in chaplaincy provision is a hospital matter outside of the control of the Diocese.
“We have consistently raised with the Hospital our strong belief that the current provision of chaplaincy services at UHG is not on a par with similar hospitals elsewhere in the country, and stands in need of urgent attention and investment.
“We are deeply aware of the upset caused to patients, families and staff when the spiritual and pastoral care they rightly expect is unavailable.
“We remain absolutely committed to working with the hospital to assist in rectifying the present unsatisfactory situation.”
It added that in order to ensure the HSE “is in compliance with relevant employment legislation from May 2025,” “there was a change in relation to the availability of Catholic chaplains.”
This is not the case in other major hospitals across the country. At University Hospital Limerick, the chaplaincy service runs full-time, 24 hours a day, for those of all faiths and none. There are three full-time chaplains who work there daily from 8am to 9pm, as well as an out-of-hours emergency on-call system which runs throughout the night, from 9pm to 8am.
Meanwhile, the Mater Hospital in Dublin told the Times newspaper that demand for pastoral care has actually increased in recent years. A 24-hour a day chaplaincy service is also provided to patients there.
“There has been an increase in the demand for last rites and related pastoral care over recent years at the Mater Hospital.
“The records kept by the chaplaincy team are largely manual, but it does allow for comparable periods to be examined which show a clear increase in these requests. This is in keeping with the lived experience of the chaplains who administer pastoral care at the hospital.”
This, it said, was demonstrative that such services, including out of hours, are on the rise, rather than decreasing.
Similarly, University Hospital Limerick (UHL) told The Times that it too has experienced increased demand for pastoral care.