Dr. Noreen Lineen-Curtis:

I would like to add that apart from the difficulty of getting on and off the island in a wheelchair, getting in and out of the health centre in Clare Island is not possible in a wheelchair. The access is simply not there. In fact, we have had able-bodied people trip and fall coming in the door.

It goes on to the infrastructure on the island as well. We have to provide not only safe workspaces for people to work in but also safe spaces for the patients. It is an old health centre. It has been there for 50 years. It is great to have it and it did the job back in the day, but nowadays the access is simply not as good as it should be or could be. It would not take a huge amount of work to sort it out and redesign it.

The other issue relates to the nurses. At the moment we have two nurses, luckily, who live on the island. They are from the island and live there. They will not be there forever, however, and when they do retire there is no one else looking likely at the moment to take up a resident position on the island. The health centre has to double as a residence and at the moment is simply not fit for somebody to live in or to stay in. It needs renovation. It has had a little done but needs a bit more and safer access for patients in wheelchairs.