Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. What has gone on in the area has been incredible. The emergency aeromedical service is doing sorties every day and at every Gaelic football pitch, local field or by the side of a road, the service has undoubtedly saved many lives. At one time if a person was in an accident or had a cardiac arrest, he or she would be brought by ambulance to an accident and emergency department to be stabilised before being brought to another accident and emergency department. We are now able to utilise services and modern communications in this way.

This issue has gone on for a long time, but I am not blaming the fact that sometimes more funding is required. Have elements been agreed under the Haddington Road agreement or is there some issue of staff refusing to go to Loughglynn? I have raised the matter on many occasions and I am very concerned about the safety of patients in the Castlerea, Ballaghaderreen, Loughglynn and Ballyhaunis areas. As I stated, when I became involved with politics, I was often told that the fight is never what the fight is about. Now is the time to get all the stakeholders together, including members of the ambulance service, personnel from the HSE and the unions in order to try to address this very difficult issue. For too long, there has not been a service in west Roscommon and for too long I have been the Deputy bringing this to people's attention. We have delivered the ambulance service but I want the ambulance base to be staffed by personnel in the area. Will the Minister ensure that he brings on board all the stakeholders in order that we can try, once and for all, to get through this logjam that is effectively stopping an ambulance service in west Roscommon? The people of west Roscommon want and deserve it, and they will be much safer when the ambulance base is open in Loughglynn.

See this speech in context