THE MINISTER for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, was taken to hospital by ambulance after becoming ill at the informal meeting of the EU Presidency held at the University of Limerick.
The ambulance was called to UL on Tuesday morning shortly after the meetings had begun. Minister O’Donovan was hosting a meeting of EU telecommunications ministers at the UL Sports Arena. A planned press conference with Minister O’Donovan was cancelled.
A spokesperson for the minister said: “The minister became unwell during the EU informal meeting at the University of Limerick and has been taken off-site for assessment and treatment.”
The minister was hospitalised during his trip to Brussels during the summer and has previously spoken about his experience of living with epilepsy. He reportedly had to cancel a trip to Strasbourg last week after his team deemed him not fit to travel for work.
A newspaper report last weekend anonymously quoted government ministers questioning Minister O’Donovan’s health. It said, “The discussion about whether he is well enough to stay in the role is coming for sure.”
Minister O’Donovan condemned the commentary and described these quotes as “hurtful” and the “ultimate betrayal.” He called it “a slap in the face to me, but it was also a slap in the face of the people who have to live with conditions far worse than mine.”
In 2023, the minister fell seriously ill in the Dáil Chamber while giving a speech, suffering from an aggressive fit where he stated, “I thought I was going to die.”
With “no notion of going anywhere,” Minister O’Donovan is adamant that he will remain in his position despite the anonymous comments and controversies over the last few days.