Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the issue of the provision of public transport in circumstances where the nearest hospital is 40 minutes away because it is important, but also because last weekend unexpected heavy snowfall delayed traffic on a major route in Leinster and the first responders could not access collisions on the road due to the infrastructure and the snow. As usual, it is about infrastructure. Our infrastructure seems unfit for such occasions. In a recent survey, it was revealed that the residents in County Carlow must travel on average 40 km to their nearest emergency department, a car journey of approximately 37 minutes, because we do not have an adequate public transport system. While there are several rail lines and some bus offerings, by and large, these are at awkward times for anyone using them for outpatient appointments or visiting loved ones. They are in no way suitable for any kind of urgent travel. On the Internet, there are lift-sharing offerings and car-pooling. We need to promote all this, particularly as we are always trying to reduce Ireland's carbon footprint, allowing a situation where it is acceptable that everyone would try and work together. We need to help to ensure that the population is better provided for in terms of services such as housing, healthcare protection, retail services and amenities. We do not look at public transport in the light we need to. The same survey revealed that the best served county is Dublin, with residents travelling on average ten minutes or 5 km to their nearest emergency department. The residents of rural areas are being penalised for living in the countryside. I am not asking for a hospital on every corner. We have identified that the road to better healthcare in Ireland is the strengthening of primary care facilities locally. I am asking what can be done to help rural areas when there is an emergency or when something happens like this. I am calling on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come in here because infrastructure will be so important in the future to ensure that the people in rural areas are not left behind.