Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister and Minister of State on their appointments. It is my first time speaking in the Chamber with them and I wish them every success.

I would like to start by strongly supporting Deputy Cathal Crowe and his statements regarding accident and emergency care in the mid-west region. It is simply not working. We are completely and utterly underserviced by emergency care in the mid-west region. I welcome the review that has been commissioned by HIQA. It is needed. The answer is obvious. I asked the Taoiseach this question yesterday: when will the initial review be expected? We expected it by the end of the month. I also call for a second accident and emergency department in the mid-west region. It is obvious and that report will I hope say that. However, I stand fully united with my colleague, Deputy Crowe, today in that regard.

I wish to briefly acknowledge the fact that Friday is Rare Disease Day. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan had representatives from Rare Diseases Ireland in the audiovisual room today. He has been doing incredible work with them and I would like to acknowledge that day. Following on from my colleague to my left, Cared Ireland also gave a presentation in the audiovisual room today. I call on the Minister to meet then as well. As the Deputy said, what we listened to in there today was harrowing and they need the time and attention they deserve.

I wish to raise two issues in the Thurles area in particular that are affecting healthcare in north Tipperary. The first is that there is only one 24-hour Shannondoc service, based in Nenagh, in north Tipperary. Thurles needs a 24-7 Shannondoc service. There is a brand new primary healthcare centre in the town. It is a fantastic facility. An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, opened it about two and a half years ago. I was there at the time. It is the ideal facility for it. There is no point in telling the people of Thurles that when they need out-of-care service by a GP, they should travel to Nenagh because, first, the service already full, second, it is too far and, third, they then get sent to UHL, which I have already said is not suitable to cater for the accident and emergency needs of the north Tipperary area.

The second issue refers to the National Ambulance Service. There is a base in Thurles. I spoke to paramedics there and met one paramedic in a different town in north Tipperary during the general election campaign. They raised this issue with me and I have had extended conversations on it. The pressure being put on paramedics because of the system not working is ferocious. We are having retention and recruitment issues because of the work conditions. Putting paramedics in ambulances and telling them to spend their entire shift driving around an area, a lot of the time with regard to the Thurles base, which is outside of our HSE region, is unacceptable. They are spending time travelling around counties Kilkenny, Waterford, Wicklow and Wexford without actually getting to help someone. We really need help for paramedics in that area. I will finish there because I am out of time.

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