Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise this issue today.

I raised this matter in February 2012 when, at that time, there was great fear and worry on the part of staff and the general public in the Edenderry, north Offaly, Kildare, Meath and Westmeath areas regarding the ambulance service. The worry centred on the working conditions associated with the ambulance facility which was housed at that time on the grounds of Ofalia House, a HSE community care facility for the elderly and the sick in Edenderry. Despite the fears and worries the interested parties worked to the best of their ability over time but earlier this year HIQA announced that the facility could no longer be used for that purpose. The ambulance service was forced to relocate to Tullamore on the understanding that the relevant works would be carried out at the Ofalia House facility and the service would return to Edenderry within three months.

Thankfully, on foot of concerns raised by me, many other public representatives and the public, the HSE located a site which is close to the fire station in Edenderry and planning permission for a new ambulance facility was granted earlier this year. After the relocation to Tullamore, there was a fear on the part of staff and people living in the locality that if temporary accommodation was made available within three months, the commitment to provide a new, purpose-built facility might not be honoured. All of the public representatives in the area took up the case, including the Deputy opposite, Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, I am glad to say. We sought assurances from the National Ambulance Service and the HSE that the new facility would be forthcoming in order to be able to reassure the public and the staff. We have received various items of correspondence, including from the assistant chief ambulance officer of the HSE to myself in response to a Parliamentary Question submitted at the end of October and from Mr. Martin Dunne, the director of the National Ambulance Service, to myself, local Deputies and councillors. A meeting was held with local public representatives six weeks ago, at which more detailed information was provided. At that meeting, Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, who is a Minister of State in the Department of Health, confirmed what was contained in the briefing documentation.

The confirmation was that not only would temporary accommodation be forthcoming in the near future because a site had been identified, as was detailed through some of the correspondence that was made available to us, but more importantly, a firm commitment was given that action would be taken on foot of the granting of planning permission for a new purpose-built facility. I am taking the opportunity to raise this issue by means of a Topical Issue so that the public can be assured once and for all that given the commitments of the HSE and the National Ambulance Service and the fact planning permission has been forthcoming and a site for temporary accommodation has been identified, that this will be forthcoming and made available and that we can get a commitment that the new facility will start construction in the very near future. If a date was forthcoming, it would allay everybody's fears and allow people to get on with their work. In respect of the locality and community of north Offaly, west Kildare, south-east Westmeath and part of Meath and its close proximity to the N4, it is of pivotal importance in respect of responses to emergencies as they arise. I am glad the Minister of State with responsibility in the Department of Health is here so she can assure the House and, by extension, those we represent that this will be resolved forthwith.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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As somebody who is as anxious as Deputy Cowen in respect of the retention of the ambulance service in Edenderry, I thank him for raising this important matter. It is a good opportunity to brief the House on this matter. Since 2006, the National Ambulance Service, NAS, has operated a service from Ofalia House, a HSE care facility in the Edenderry area. This service was most welcome when it was established ten years ago. However, the HIQA review pointed to the need for some internal reconfiguration works in Ofalia House to ensure compliance with best practice. A fund of around €2 million was provided by the previous Government to carry out those refurbishment works. Works commenced in April 2016 but because of health and safety requirements, the NAS had no option but to vacate the premises. As one who visited it and saw where the service was trying to operate out of when there was a building site around it, I could understand the decision to put the safety and health of the people who work in the ambulance service to the forefront.

While the original intention had been for the NAS to return to Ofalia House on completion of the building works, as we now know, a major part of the facility previously used by the NAS is no longer available due to the requirement for hospice beds within Ofalia House. It, therefore, became necessary to relocate the ambulance service to Tullamore. I acknowledge the excellent service provided by the people based in Edenderry and the fact they co-operated and were so willing to understand what was going on and, at the same time, were anxious to get back to base. As the Deputy is aware, it is proposed to build a new ambulance station in Edenderry. A site has been identified and planning approval has been received. I understand that pending the development of the new station, the NAS, in conjunction with HSE Estates, is actively seeking temporary accommodation for the service in the Edenderry area so that it can resume from Edenderry as soon as possible while clarifying that it is still providing a service while it is based in Tullamore.

Of course, we are all aware that the NAS has undergone a very significant process of modernisation in recent years and a number of important service innovations and developments have taken place. The national emergency operations centre has been established while improved technology has been provided to improve response times. We have developed the intermediate care service to provide lower acuity hospital transfers, which frees up emergency ambulances for the more urgent calls. The establishment of a permanent emergency aeromedical support service to provide a more timely response to persons in rural areas has also been a welcome development. All of us, including Deputy Cowen, know people who have had their lives saved because of that aeromedical support service.

We are also looking at alternatives to the current model of care, which requires every patient to be brought to an emergency department. The options under consideration include "hear and treat" where clinical advice is provided over the phone to callers who can then, if appropriate, be referred to other care pathways. We have evidence that people's lives have been saved by using the "hear and treat" methodology. I am advised that a recruitment process is under way for the necessary staff to facilitate the roll out of a pilot "hear and treat" model of care.

This ambulance reform programme is taking place against the backdrop of the HIQA review of ambulance services, which was published in late 2014, and the NAS capacity review, which was published earlier this year. The capacity review examined overall ambulance resource levels and distribution against demand and activity. Implementation of the recommendations of the capacity review will require a multi-annual programme of phased investment in ambulance manpower, vehicles and technology. In that regard, the Deputy can be assured that increased funding will be available to the NAS for 2017. The detail of the improvements to be funded will be provided in the HSE's 2017 national service plan. My officials are working closely with their counterparts in the HSE and the NAS to agree priorities in relation to the 2017 allocation.

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. She rightly acknowledges that planning permission was sought by the HSE on behalf of the NAS to provide for and put in place a new facility in Edenderry and that it has been granted. She went on to mention that a national emergency operations centre has been set up and that HIQA reviews in 2014 and earlier this year talk about a capacity review and various pilots schemes to seek to have that brought into force and a broader roll out depending on its success.

That is all well and good, and I wish the Minister of State well with that, but I will return to the nub of this issue. A commitment was given, permission was sought and granted and the public, local representatives and I were assured that this will be acted on. I just need the Minister of State to clarify that this will proceed and that this has not been moved sideways or backwards because of the various reviews, the new national emergency operations centre and the capacity review that is being undertaken to see what pilot schemes will bring about the potential for permanent facilities at various locations. I am interested in resolving the issue relating to Edenderry and the greater north Offaly area and adjoining counties, which it serves. I need affirmation and confirmation that having gone to the trouble of getting planning permission and giving a commitment to the locality and its representatives, including the Minister of State and myself, there is no question of that commitment being lost. We need it to be confirmed in the House so that we can assure those people and everybody concerned that this facility will be in place and that commencement will take place this year based on the commitments given to us.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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As Deputy Cowen will recall, the Edenderry district convened a meeting with all of the Oireachtas Members and local councillors recently. Due to the considerations and concerns mooted by everybody, I proposed that we would arrange a meeting with the HSE, because it is delivering the service and not the Department, senior management in the ambulance service and the Minister for Health to provide those reassurances and clarity, which we all require, to ensure people at local level were confident that the HSE was determined to push ahead with the service and the facility the town of Edenderry and the wider area so clearly deserve and expect to have. I can confirm to the Deputy that we will have that meeting. A date has been proposed and everybody will be invited to the meeting. It will be a great opportunity for us to further probe the HSE on this. I feel confident that there will not be an issue but at the same time, it is a project that is being developed by the HSE which will be accountable for what it has done to date and what it plans to do in the future. I am looking forward to having that meeting and inviting Deputy Cowen and all the other public representatives who require clarity, as do I.

It is welcome that we will have the opportunity to do it.

I again thank the Deputy for raising the issue about which we are all very concerned.