Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for putting this matter on the agenda and ensuring it will be addressed by the Minister. This is a very important issue to County Donegal which has been leading to some concern among people over the past number of days. I have put this on the agenda to give the Minister for Health and his Department the opportunity to reassure people in County Donegal that there is no threat to the continuation of NoWDOC services at the four centres in County Donegal from which it is currently provided and that the service will be maintained at its current level, thus ensuring people have 24 hour access to a GP within a reasonable distance from their homes.

When people contact NoWDOC or a GP in the middle of the night or outside normal office hours, it is not because they have something wrong with them which can wait until the next day; it is because they have a concern in regard to their health that often is an emergency which needs to be addressed by a doctor immediately. There has been some concern, and much coverage in newspapers, in the past week in regard the potential closure of three of the outreach centres in the county, with the GP service from midnight to 8 a.m. being provided through Letterkenny alone. Indeed, there is a rumour that perhaps only one car will be provided.

As we can all understand, that is very concerning and it must be knocked on the head immediately by the Minister and the HSE so that we can all be sure that service will continue to be provided. We had a meeting last Friday, which all Oireachtas Member from the county attended, with HSE management and which was very useful. We made it very clear at that meeting that this must be addressed immediately. HSE management indicated that it does not have any plans to change the service but in written correspondence from the HSE, we have not received absolute clarity that is the position of the Department of Health and the HSE.

This is a red line issue and it is not up for negotiation. The Minister has the opportunity to reassure people and I ask that the Minister of State takes this opportunity to do so.

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