Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

With respect, the Minister of State is not living nine miles offshore on an island in the Atlantic. When she refers to people contacting a general practitioner directly, she should note that they are dependent on other means of communication. It is not quite the same as the access she and I enjoy living on the mainland. Her answer is not adequate.

On pre-employment checks, when was the successful person identified and how long will the pre-employment checks take? When will a final decision be taken on the suitability of the new recruit to take up this opportunity on Inishturk Island?

In the interim, the services of a nurse from the adjacent Clare Island were to be used and she was to visit Inishturk Island weekly. Is that the case as this information does not correspond with the information available to us? We have been informed that only three visits have taken place since last September. Will the Minister of State clarify whether these visits are taking place weekly? The concerns raised are understandable given the circumstances Deputy Martin Ferris and I have described, including the age profile of residents, the presence of a pregnant woman on the island and the fact that islanders are no more immune to influenza than the rest of us, wherever we may live. Will the Minister indicate precisely when it is hoped the nurse will take up duties?

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