Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As someone who comes from a coastal community, I am well acquainted with islands and the logistics associated with trying to get medical care onto them, particularly in poor weather conditions.

The importance of having somebody present on the island in the case of emergency cannot be overstated.

What I find very disturbing is the reply from the HSE in Castlebar. This dates back to December 2013. When the HSE was approached about having a nurse in place, the residents' representative, Ms Mary Heanue, the co-ordinator on Inishturk, was told clearly that a nurse was not needed as there was no one in need of dressing full-time, there were no pregnant ladies on the island and there was nobody who needed injections. The HSE also made reference to the fact it did not have the resources necessary, whether it be personnel or otherwise, to fill the vacuum.

In November 2014 a nurse was recruited and is being vetted, which means, as we are almost into February, that it has taken four months to complete the recruitment. It is inexcusable that there is nobody in place yet. I am not blaming the Minister of State for this. At the end of the day, the ability of the HSE to provide medical care for people in need leaves an awful lot to be desired, in particular for those living in rural areas.

See this speech in context