Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Cowen will recall, the Edenderry district convened a meeting with all of the Oireachtas Members and local councillors recently. Due to the considerations and concerns mooted by everybody, I proposed that we would arrange a meeting with the HSE, because it is delivering the service and not the Department, senior management in the ambulance service and the Minister for Health to provide those reassurances and clarity, which we all require, to ensure people at local level were confident that the HSE was determined to push ahead with the service and the facility the town of Edenderry and the wider area so clearly deserve and expect to have. I can confirm to the Deputy that we will have that meeting. A date has been proposed and everybody will be invited to the meeting. It will be a great opportunity for us to further probe the HSE on this. I feel confident that there will not be an issue but at the same time, it is a project that is being developed by the HSE which will be accountable for what it has done to date and what it plans to do in the future. I am looking forward to having that meeting and inviting Deputy Cowen and all the other public representatives who require clarity, as do I.

It is welcome that we will have the opportunity to do it.

I again thank the Deputy for raising the issue about which we are all very concerned.

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