Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

While there may be a telephone service available, it will be interesting to see how that will work where there are application forms to be filled out or paperwork to be sent in to the community welfare officer for a decision. I do not know how that will work out in practice. I ask the Minister to keep this under review with a view to reopening the clinics if necessary if the service fails the clients who deserve it.

One of the clinics closing in Donegal is in Pettigo, and an offer has been made to clients to use the clinic either in Ballyshannon or in Donegal town. There is one bus service a week to Donegal town from Pettigo and there is none to Ballyshannon. For those in Gaoth Dobhair, where the service is closing, there are two clinics: one in Dungloe, which is 15 miles away, and one in Falcarragh, which is also approximately 15 miles away. One cannot get a bus to Dungloe. If one gets a bus to Falcarragh, one arrives at half past ten in the morning and cannot get a bus back again until half past five in the evening. These are the type of service that these clients must access and it is simply not the best way of dealing with them. The Minister at least should be willing to keep this under review over the next number of months and, if it is not working, to reinstate these services.

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