Minister of State Lynch ‘comfortable’ in hospital

Minister of State at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch was described as comfortable tonight after being admitted into intensive care for blood poisoning.

The Labour TD for Cork North Central was finishing up an official visit at the recently flooded Letterkenny General Hospital in Co Donegal when she took ill.

She was later transferred to Cork University Hospital by air ambulance where she will undergo further tests and treatments.

Ms Lynch is understood to have suffered a recurring attack of septicaemia - an infection of the blood which can develop into potentially deadly sepsis - for which she was treated in Cork last year.

A spokesman for the Minister of State said her illness had stabilised throughout the day and she was in a comfortable condition.

Ms Lynch’s husband Bernard, who is her personal assistant, was with her at the time she took ill and is at her bedside.

Ms Lynch, who has responsibility for areas such as disability, equality and mental health, was visiting the psychiatric unit of Letterkenny General Hospital. The hospital was forced to shut its accident and emergency department over the weekend after it was hit by flooding from the rainstorms.

She was due to speak at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties but her appearance has been cancelled.

A Labour spokesman said Ms Lynch’s husband Bernard confirmed she was responsive and talking to doctors. “Doctors felt the best place for her to be was in hospital to get some treatment,” he said. “But Bernard said she seems to be doing fine and she’ll be kept in no longer than a couple of days.”