Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been raising this issue for many months and it is connected to my previous question. The Seaview House service provided 316 hours of service in some weeks while in other weeks, service levels were down to 36 hours. There were six weeks last year in which the service did not operate at all and the people who are being caught out here are those who need the service. I have been given assurances by senior managers in the HSE that this service will become a five-day rather than a three-day service in February when the service provider agreement is signed off. They have also assured me that there will be no issues in terms of ensuring that the service runs continuously. Can the Minister of State give the same assurances here on the floor of this House? I ask him to confirm that this service will move from a three-day to a five-day week basis and that the service provider will be able to operate it on that basis. What if it does not do so? What if the third party provider fails to provide an adequate service? What are the Department's plans in that event?

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