Carlow health services and ambulances
Deputy Murnane O'Connor raised closure of the St. Dympna’s X-ray unit and primary school dental clinic in Carlow, saying local people had been given no information or timetable. She then added repeated concerns about long ambulance waits after serious falls. The Minister of State said she would seek details and respond further.
My office was very busy on Monday. I had people ringing us and coming in because they were told the part-time X-ray unit in Carlow at St. Dympna's Hospital, which is an excellent facility, is being closed for refurbishment. That was fine. I was trying to find out about that and of course got no word from the HSE. Then I found out the primary school dental clinic beside it is closed for refurbishment. We have one dentist in the county-----
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Just to let the Taoiseach know, it is Carlow. We have one dentist in the county of Carlow. Now the dental clinic for primary schools is closed and I am told it is for refurbishment. I got no information about it. I got no timescale and this is unacceptable.
There is another issue. I tell all the Ministers and Ministers of State here that we really need to get our act together. I had a 79-year-old man at the weekend who had a horrific fall and he was waiting six hours for the ambulance. He broke his hip and his shoulder.
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He had to go to Waterford. Then last week another man fell-----
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-----and he was waiting six hours for an ambulance. I understand-----
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-----things are happening, but we are getting to a stage where we cannot let this happen to the Carlow people.
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We are used to hearing the Deputy advocating very strongly for people in Carlow but these issues happen all over the country as well. I do not have the specific details on St. Dympna's Hospital and the primary care centre for the dental clinic but at the same time, we must have standards and refurbishment and best practice are very important too. I will speak to the Deputy after this and try to get some of the details from her and get a comprehensive answer to her.