Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The last part of the Minister of State's answer showed that she fully understands the issue and the problem in north Tipperary. As she said, we have a brand new primary healthcare centre in Thurles. It was officially opened by the Taoiseach a couple of weeks ago. It would be an ideal location for a core centre in the town of Thurles. It is a matter of geography. As the Minister of State said, it is an hour and a quarter from Portumna to Thurles but the north Tipperary region stretches another 15 miles or so beyond Thurles into Gortnahoe and Ballysloe. It is physically impossible to give an adequate service at night-time. From 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., we only have one core centre in north Tipperary. It is just not physically possible to get to patients in ample time no matter how hard the doctors on duty try.

I will take on board the Minister of State's point about holding negotiations with Shannondoc at the local level to see how its services could be revamped to provide better cover geographically to the whole of north Tipperary. That core centre in Thurles would give the extra resources and would divide north Tipperary into two regions. If that was done, we would be able to adequately cover north Tipperary and provide the night service that people rightly expect and demand of the HSE in modern-day Ireland.

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