Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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921. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to expand the pathfinder alternative care pathway to Bantry General Hospital. [39810/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Pathfinder is a National Ambulance Service-administered alternative care pathway for the older community. It involves the NAS and Allied Health Professionals working together to respond to and treat older people in their own home. The service enables staff to treat and assess the patient as well as provide the appropriate supports and follow up care to the patient, so that where clinically appropriate the patient does not need to be transported to a busy Emergency Department to receive care.

Following a successful pilot in the Beaumont Hospital catchment area, Pathfinder has been rolled out to eight additional locations in Tallaght, Waterford, Limerick, Cork, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Tralee and Galway.

In regard to the Deputy's specific question on the rollout of Pathfinder to Bantry I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to him directly with any further information it may have.