A matter of life and death – lack of ambulance coverage in Connemara – should be a priority in negotiations to form a new Government, campaigners insist.
The Ambulance Crisis Steering Group in North West Connemara has stepped up its campaign for an ambulance to be based in Leenane.
The group says that a new ambulance to cover the Leenane and Maam areas, and indeed all rural areas across the country with ambulances, should be a priority in government negotiation talks.
Galway West TD Seán Kyne, who is on the Fine Gael government formation negotiation team, has agreed to meet members of the steering committee this coming Saturday. Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív is reportedly “pushing it big time” from the Fianna Fáil end.
Meanwhile, officials representing acting-Health Minister Leo Varadkar issued a ‘holding’ statement to the committee midweek indicating the matter was still under consideration. Representatives met with the Minister last December with a proposal for a new ambulance to be based at the empty Garda station in Leenane.
The group was pleased with the feedback at that meeting, and were assured that additional funds of about €7 million had been earmarked for health services in Galway West.
Nothing tangible happened since the meeting, as a general election was called, and now the steering group has attempted to ramp up political pressure again for a solution as government talks continue. The group last week wrote to several Ministers and TDs reminding them of their concerns.
“The situation is really dangerous but people don’t seem to realise that we don’t have a proper ambulance service out here. Just because of where we live we shouldn’t be without an ambulance service,” said Patricia Keane of the steering group.
Currently, patients in Leenane and Maam must wait between two and three hours, sometimes four, for an ambulance.
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