Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

Legislation for motorway service stations was introduced in this House last year. One can see new service stations being built on the M1 following the enactment of the legislation. There is no reason for the Government not to consider small stopover centres at the mid-way point between the north west and Dublin because we will not be able to provide services in every back yard around the country and patients will require transport to centres of excellence. We should afford people dignity if they are in a state of ill health and making arduous journeys. Providing a stopover facility would allow them to get a cup of tea. Such a facility would not even have to be staffed. There is no need for extra personnel or resources. We are talking about a stopover to which paramedics would have a key. That is something worth considering in terms of affording dignity to patients.

Deputy Connaughton referred to palliative care and the voluntary work carried out in hospices. The models designed by voluntary groups throughout the country are a model of best practice we should examine. We should consider the genesis of the hospice movement and the types of transportation infrastructure that was introduced on a voluntary basis. The people on the ground know what is best. When introducing legislation we should look at what is happening on the ground in terms of best practice rather than getting caught up in international best practice. What is best in Finland, Sweden and Canada will not work in this country. We have a population of more than 3.5 million and we are living in a country with poor infrastructure in terms of public transport.

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