Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, for coming to the House. I have raised the need for an ambulance base and a primary care unit in Tuam on a number of occasions with the Department of Health and Children and the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin. On 31 May last, the former Minister told me in a letter that he understood that the Western Health Board was:

. . .developing proposals for the establishment of a number of additional [ambulance] stations in its functional area including the establishment of a station at Tuam. These capital proposals will be considered by my Department in conjunction with the Western Health Board and in the context of capital priorities to be progressed in line with overall funding resources available in 2004 and beyond.

The provision of ambulance bases at Tuam, Achill and north Roscommon have been the Western Health Board's main priorities for some time. The full package which was put together by the health board in October 2002 included an ambulance base, a primary care unit, a community hospital to replace the Bon Secours Hospital and child care, respite care and day care units.

It is right that the board considered the ambulance service as a priority, but no such service is available in Tuam at present. There are two ambulances in Galway, there is one ambulance in Loughrea and one ambulance is on call from Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe. The lack of an ambulance based in Tuam is an important issue in north Galway, south Mayo and west Roscommon. There is a fine health campus in the town, on a seven acre site that the health board bought from the Bon Secours order. I give credit to the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, who allocated funds for the health campus. Two years on, however, I would like to see some development on the campus.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, for coming to speak on this matter. He knows the relevant area of north Galway and west Roscommon well because his late father represented it in the Dáil. I assure him that this issue is of major concern. The people of the Tuam area want some part of the health campus to be developed. I hope the Minister of State can give me some information about developments in that regard.