Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I raise the question of the ambulance base at Gorey, County Wexford.I am sure the Minister of State will join me in paying tribute to our hardworking ambulance crews across the country. The ambulance crew that is operating in Gorey is operating in a Portakabin that is completely substandard and unacceptable as a workplace. The National Ambulance Service Estates Strategic Plan 2016-2020, which was produced in consultation with the HSE, stated clearly that there was at Gorey a "new build required" and described the facilities there as "current base unsuitable, portacabin structure". In that strategic plan the National Ambulance Service, NAS, and the HSE committed to the completion of a new service by 2020. We are now in 2023 and a feasibility study was carried out in 2021 and in March 2022, which again reported that the existing station at the rear of Gorey District Hospital was completely unsuitable. The HSE capital plan for 2023 indicates the need for a new ambulance station in Gorey but there has been no progress to date. It is clearly identified within this HSE region as the worst ambulance station anywhere in the country.

Why is the HSE continuing to drag its feet on the provision of a new ambulance station in north Wexford? It is completely unfair to those who have to use the ambulances. More particularly, this is not acceptable as a workplace for members of the ambulance crew. I appreciate this is not the Minister of State's Department but I hope he will have some answers for me. I have tried to get the answers directly from the HSE but I have not been able to ascertain progress. That is why I had to bring a Commencement matter on the issue. I hope the Minister of State will be able to enlighten us.