Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the time given to me to discuss this matter. I have raised this issue over many years and frankly I am disappointed to have to do so again. I have a number of questions about an ambulance base in Carlow and look forward to a reply to them.

Some years ago, I was told that €350,000 was being allocated under the capital funding for the building of a fit-for-purpose ambulance base. I was recently told in a written reply that only €50,000 was allocated and spent. Where is the rest of the money? Has a health and safety audit been carried out on the ambulance base in Carlow? If not, why not? Before Covid, I visited the site on which the ambulance is based, which is in the grounds of St. Dympna's Hospital in Carlow town. Before these new restrictions I visited there again and discovered to my shock and horror that there is no fire escape, only one shower facility, no training facility, no contaminated workwear bay, no room for social distancing and no storage for equipment. I am not a health and safety officer but I know this cannot be right. Are there plans to ensure moneys allocated to this facility are being spent? Will a health and safety audit be carried out? Will the Department advise as to the timescale of such an audit or capital work to be undertaken?

I am very proud of the Carlow ambulance base staff members. There are wonderful people working tirelessly there, most especially in these difficult times. I have been working on this issue for years. The staff there are really frustrated because they know the small amount of money which was spent is still not enough to call it a fit-for-purpose base. They are operating out of a prefab with one shower. There is one shower and 18 staff. Men and women sharing one shower is very unsuitable. They do not have enough locker space and there is one computer between 18 staff, which is totally inadequate for online training. The store for their equipment is located some distance away, which, in an emergency, could cause a hazard at night if further restocking of vehicles were needed.

These good men and women are exposed daily to myriad health and safety issues and they only seek proper working facilities to keep them safe as they operate on the Covid-19 testing front line. Given the Covid-19 pandemic, our front-line staff should not be working in these conditions. However, even without Covid-19 they deserve better. A clap will not cut it and I implore the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to give it his immediate attention.

My understanding is that there are some vacant premises beside the existing ambulance prefab at St. Dympna's Hospital. Will these be considered as a suitable premises if a proper base cannot be tendered for in the current climate? The money allocated would surely suffice to bring these premises up to standard. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this and anxiously await the Minister of State's reply.

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