Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)

I am glad this is being discussed in terms of rural poverty. The Minister will completely understand this. I commend Irish Rural Link on the great work it has done in Mayo. It needs to be resourced to do an awful lot more. I will give the Minister an example of a woman I spoke to in Castlebar the other day. She has an appointment in Galway hospital next week. All of her income and benefit for the week will be wiped out because she has to pay for that taxi. She cannot get public transport. We discussed the ins and outs of it, but she just cannot. That is all of her benefit for the week. This is how people are being plunged into poverty. What is she to do for her food, fuel and everything else for that week? It is okay centralising health services and we all need the centres of excellence in certain disciplines, but asking somebody, without any help, to get from Castlebar - never mind from Blacksod - to Galway is impossible. I want the Minister to examine transport, specifically transport from Mayo to Galway hospital.

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