Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The staff who work in the facility, and a niece of mine works there, are ferociously committed. It is not just a matter of the work but they have a belief in what they are doing. If this committee asked Ms Keogh two questions or voted to postpone the laying off of staff for a six-month period - that would not make or break anyone, and I understand the IWA must comply with fire regulations, which no one disputes, and if the facility has a fire certificate it is in a fairly good place - would she bring a proposal to the IWA board that the facility would not close for a six-month period during which the public representatives, the State or the Minister for Health’s office and the IWA would work together on this? Nobody is saying they have a magic wand. The IWA has said this facility is a good model. If a solution can be found, is there any sense in dropping the hammer, so to speak, on the facility at the end of the month? I ask that six months be provided to facilitate this and let us see if a successful outcome can be achieved. Would Ms Keogh be willing to bring that proposal to the IWA board to try to achieve a successful outcome?