Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My two colleagues are standing together with me on this issue because it is so important. It is the provision of an ambulance service base in Recess, Connemara. Tonight, we have had confirmation on paper that tender documents are ready to issue in April. Are they ready? Have they issued? The construction date is July, to be finished within six months. In a nutshell, is that what the Minister of State is going to tell us tonight? This issue has spanned three elections with different colleagues. The former deputy, Éamon Ó Cuív, was very much involved in this as indeed were other colleagues. The people on the ground have worked with us. The reply I have received states this started in 2020. The campaign started way back in 2014. I have correspondence going back seven years regarding the need for an ambulance service on the ground.

I am repeating that they persisted over three elections to tell us how important presenting the figures was. To get as far as we have is success but we need confirmation regarding the dates given the extraordinary delays to date.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I concur with what my colleague said. I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue. I am more recent to the story but I agree fully with Deputy Connolly's relaying of the history of the project and the previous efforts of public representatives to raise and progress it. There are two ambulances in Clifden, which would be the nearest town to where it is proposed to locate this base. Last week, a player suffered an injury at a rugby match and waited 70 minutes for an ambulance to arrive having suffered a dislocated knee. One can only imagine the pain this person went through during that time. Could it be confirmed that the fire safety certificate and disability access certificate have been applied for and approved? This might give us some insight. Our understanding was that the tender documents were progressing alongside that, but there seems to be some delay. It is symptomatic of how long it takes and how arduous it is to progress a capital project.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I concur with what my colleagues said. It shows the importance of this issue, which spanned three different Dáil terms. Colleagues from political parties and Independents have come together on this issue because it is so important for the people of Connemara. It has progressed but I have been advised by the Minister for Health in a response to a parliamentary question that it was expected to be delivered in 2025. I was told at that stage that the preparation of tender documentation was well advanced, it was intended to tender the construction works in quarter three of 2024 and they would commence with a nine-month building plan. This is not where we are at the moment but we do want to know where we are. We want to make sure this is progressed. This is a basic need of a community that has long campaigned for it. We have heard so many different horror stories about people who have been affected in so many different ways. The crux is that the people of Connemara need this ambulance base. It is being progressed but being able to get the information from the HSE has been an issue at times, which is why we had to bring it to the floor of the Dáil. It is crucial there be clear communication that we can bring back. Let us get this delivered as soon as possible.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue on the provision of an ambulance base at Recess, County Galway. I know how important this issue is to them. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of Minister for Health. As the Deputies are aware, this Government has a consistent track record of investment in the National Ambulance Service, NAS, with significant increases in funding since 2019. Budget 2025 confirmed this Government’s commitment to continued investment in NAS, with an additional allocation of €8 million for new service developments in 2025. This brings the allocation for NAS in 2025 to €285 million, representing an increase of €117 million, or more than 69%, on its 2019 allocation. Increased funding in 2025 will provide for up to 180 additional NAS staff, including paramedics to support the delivery of essential front-line services, facilitate the expansion of alternative care pathways and the continued development of specialist services such as the NAS critical care retrieval service. Current staffing provision in the county stands at 137 whole-time equivalents.

In addition, there are 18 active community first responder, CFR, groups in County Galway. CFRs are volunteers who are trained to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. Galway also benefits from the emergency aeromedical service provided by NAS in conjunction with the Irish Air Corps from its base in Custume Barracks, Athlone. This service conducted 368 missions in 2024.

Galway is also served by a Pathfinder service. Pathfinder is a care pathway that involves NAS and allied health professionals working together to respond and treat older people in their homes as well as providing the appropriate supports and follow-up care in order that the patient does not need to be transported to a busy emergency department to receive care.

The site the Deputies refer to in Recess in Connemara was previously a health centre and is currently derelict. It is the intention of the HSE to refurbish this existing derelict health centre to provide a stand-alone ambulance base. Planning permission has been secured and the design team is finalising the detailed design, including fire and disability access certificates, with a view to having a stage 2C report submitted to the HSE local estates office for review in the coming weeks. Approval will then be sought to proceed to issue tender documents. My Department is working closely with NAS on finalising a new strategic plan that will be formally submitted to the Department in due course.

The Deputies have raised a good number of points. I am a believer in process. I have given an update on the process as it stands but I want to follow up through the Minister for Health about getting the tender and getting it built. That gives the Deputies an update about where it is at this time. I can come back to the Deputies once they have made additional presentations.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking a hands-on approach. There are 11 sentences, two of which refer to the issue we raised. It goes back three and possibly four elections but I do not wish to exaggerate. We have confirmation from the former assistant national director that tender documents were to issue in April and building was to start in July and finish by the end of the year. We have a tiny bit more information into a stage 2 report - fire certificates. When will the tender documents issue and when will building start? At the very least, this is what the group on the ground wants. It deserves a little respect after all its work over three elections for an essential service. We need confirmation of that. As has been said, we were forced to raise this Topical Issue because the targets have slipped so often.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Connolly that the content is limited to what is relevant to the specific issue. One line in the reply says that, "Approval will then be sought to proceed to issue tender documents." This is concerning because, as Deputy Connolly said, we all had an understanding that not only had this approval been granted previously but also the tender documents were prepared and ready to go. I hope this term can be changed from approval to a date for when it will happen.

Another issue that arises concerns the Air Corps base in Custume Barracks in Athlone. I read yesterday in a newspaper that this is to change, which gives me some concern for the west because we will require a facility like that to service the west.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister of State's response and how genuine it was. I think the other Deputies will agree we saw progress when we raised it as a Topical Issue a number of years ago with former Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte. She took it upon herself to get things moving, so that shows the role the Minister of State can play in this. Let us hope we can get progress as a result.

I was told by the Minister for Health last July that the fire safety certificate and disability access certificate would be submitted in the week ending 12 July and the preparation of tender documentation was well advanced, so something went wrong. Could we try to get to the bottom of it because it is urgently needed?

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The update we have been given is that planning permission has been secured, which the Deputies already know. The design team is finalising a detailed design, including a fire safety certificate and a disability access certificate with a view to having a stage 2C report submitted to HSE local estates review in the coming weeks. Approval will be sought to proceed to issue tender documents.

There were two specific questions. Deputies have been told the stage 2C report support will be submitted to HSE local estates for review in the coming weeks and asked when that will happen. Following on from that, I referred to the approval process. More particularly, there were questions about when this will go out to tender and get to a point where the appointment of the contractor takes place, with construction under way.

I will revert to the Minister for Health, under whom this falls, to get responses to those specific points. The process is under way. The TDs for the area and for Galway want replies on those specific points. If they wish to submit a collective submission to the Minister and Department, we can also follow up on that. Perhaps they might take a joint approach. Deputy John Connolly referred to the barracks in Athlone. We will follow up on that too if he drops a note to the Department and the Minister. I want to be in some way constructive and assist the Deputies in a practical way.