A homeless woman who is living in a hotel in Limerick city has been told she cannot have a hysterectomy until she finds “normal accommodation”.
The 44-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she requires the surgery in order to stop menstrual “flooding” and the “horrendous” pain she has been experiencing.
However, she said a consultant gynaecologist had told her the surgery would be delayed until a time when she can be discharged into a home while she recovers.
Labour’s spokesman on housing Conor Sheehan said the single mother’s situation was an example of why homeless people who need urgent medical care should be “prioritised” for housing.
READ MORE
In a letter sent in January, Dr John Slevin says the woman “does require a hysterectomy”.
“She is in emergency accommodation and we feel that her recovery would be better served if she was in normal accommodation and this could be arranged for her.”*
“We will delay her surgery until that is achieved,” it states.
The woman says her recovery would take up to eight weeks and that the consultant told her going through this “in a hotel room would be awful”.
“There is the no cooking facilities, not being allowed have anyone come over to support with things like showering. I won’t be able to bend over or lift,” she said.
The woman is living in a hotel with her 22 year-old daughter, who is autistic. “Going out on her own is a big stress for my daughter. When I am bleeding badly I cannot bring her out. It is really negatively affecting both our lives,” the woman said of her health issue.
She and her daughter had been living with the woman’s father in a private-rented home until about seven months ago, but they had to leave after receiving a notice to quit.
“Thankfully my dad got a one-bedroom apartment in sheltered housing. But there was nothing out there for us,” she said.
The woman was formerly employed in sciences and was completing a master’s when the notice to quit arrived. She said she has had to take a break from education, is on illness benefit and entitled to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The upper limit for a two-bedroom rental in Limerick to qualify for the HAP scheme is €650 per month.
“There is nothing in Limerick for less than €1,900,” said the woman. “I have no idea how long we will be homeless. It feels very hopeless.”
Sheehan, a Limerick city TD, said he was aware of other cases where homeless people either cannot access medical treatment or their recovery is hampered because of their living situation.
“There should be a scheme where medically highly vulnerable people are picked up in the records and prioritised,” he said.
A spokesman for Limerick City and County Council said he could not comment on an individual case.
“If and when a client brings a medical issue to the attention of [the council]’s Homeless Action Team, these matters are dealt with sensitively in consultation with our colleagues in the HSE.”
A Department of Housing spokesman said: “Local authorities will prioritise allocations to those households they consider to be most in need at any moment in time.
“Local authorities may also provide for exceptional or emergency cases to qualified households, allowing immediate housing outside of normal waiting lists priorities, should circumstances require.”
In January in the midwest, encompassing counties Clare and Limerick, there were 1,014 people in emergency accommodation, including 298 children. As of March 5th, there were 6,145 households on Limerick City and County Council’s housing list.
*The headline, subheadline and text of this article were amended on March 12th, 2026
