Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Beidh mé in ann labhairt ar a son go cinnte dearfa.

Evacuations from islands happen all the time. They have always happened. We have improved ferry services, and there are lifeboats on some of the islands. We also have the helicopter rescue service, which is extremely important for the islands. However, the number of evacuations has grown rapidly as mass tourism has come to the islands. This is particularly the case when it comes to bike hire. Islanders will tell you observe that many people who have not cycled for a long time will hire bikes to get around. Unfortunately, a fair number of them come off and need to be taken off the island by boat, by helicopter or, in some cases, by plane to the mainland for treatment. The problem is that very few people are involved in accidents near the airstrip or the pier. This is also the case for those who get sick at home. All of these people have to be transported to the airstrip or to the pier. With the exception of Árainn Mhór in Donegal and Inis Mór - or Árainn, as it is more correctly known by locals - in the Aran Islands, there are no ambulances or vehicles for carrying patients on the other islands.

It is interesting that in 2023, the national ambulance service, NAS, received funding under the multi-annual integrated urgent and emergency care delivery process of Saolta, community health organisation, CHO, 1, community healthcare west, public health and the NAS. This was the only route the NAS could identify as being suitable when it came to obtaining funding. However, no funding was received via this route. It is not just the case that money is needed for ambulances; it is also required for the huge amount of work that goes into governance and safety.

Bhí an Leas-Cheann Comhairle agus mé ar na hOileáin Árainn le gairid. Bhí otharcharr breá ann. Is é an rud is mó a rachadh i gcion ort ná an traenáil a bhí faighte ag na hoileánaigh. The islanders received training in order that they would be able to handle patients according to the highest standards. This requires investment in the NAS training college and in operations staff who work with the island volunteers. A great deal of training needs to be done. In recent times, a new vehicle was put on Inis Mór, or Árainn, and another on Árainn Mhór in Donegal. This came out of NAS resources. The simple fact is, however that unless more resources are made available, the NAS does not have the resources required to provide an equivalent service on the other inhabited offshore islands that need it.

This problem might be resolved somewhat if matched funding could be obtained from the Department of Rural and Community Development, which has responsibility for the islands. It is my experience that when matched funding is provided, all sorts of other funding becomes available. One way or the other, this is needed. It is only when something goes wrong that people ask why an issue was not attended to a long time previously.

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