Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I appreciate her point that this is a priority issue. It was a priority issue last October but 12 months have passed. When does a priority issue become a genuine priority? I am very disappointed that this issue has not been addressed over the past 12 months. We are not talking about huge sums of money.

The members of these ambulance crews, who could be out on a call for a large part of the day, have nowhere to make cups of tea or wash their hands. They are based in conditions that are at a Third-World level. It is not acceptable in 2016 that there are vermin issues and sewage is building up. This issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible. While I accept that services in Carlow will not be compromised, I am not convinced in other respects. I did not hear much in the Minister of State's reply to suggest that the ambulance base in Carlow will be maintained there in the future. This is the key issue.

There must be an ambulance base to cater for Carlow town's population of 23,000 or 24,000 people. Ambulance personnel have to be able to get to the people of Carlow as soon as issues arise. I appreciate that the demographics of our society are changing. We need to be able to get to incidents within a specific period of time. The ambulance staff in Carlow want a base in the town to serve the local population of 23,000 or 24,000 people. They need a place where they can make cups of tea, wash their hands and change their clothes when the situation arises. I ask the Minister of State for confirmation that this will become a priority issue as we move forward. The ambulance base in Carlow must be maintained. The alternative accommodation that the local ambulance personnel want must be provided for them as soon as possible.

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