Paddy McHugh (Galway East, Independent)

I thank the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, for her reply. I thank her for accepting the case put forward for Tuam Hospital, sanctioning phase one and making that initial allocation available.

She mentioned in her reply that a project manager was appointed. Is that person from inside or outside the HSE, and what is that person's function?

There are three basic elements in the Tuam health campus: a community hospital, a primary care unit and an ambulance base. There is an urgent need for the immediate provision of an ambulance base. I note €1.8 million is set aside for ambulance services. Can we take it this will be expended on providing an ambulance base in Tuam immediately and that this can proceed while consideration of the community hospital is ongoing? Can we also take it that X-ray facilities will be provided in the town to serve that region of north-east Galway, south Mayo and west Roscommon, and that we need not wait for those services while the community hospital plans are being developed?

See this speech in context