I am sure the Tánaiste will agree it is essential that the ambulance service should be staffed, funded and equipped properly and operate from bases that are fit for purpose. A new base is urgently required at Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel. The existing base is a 25-year-old prefabricated building built to cater for ten all-male staff. There are now 22 staff using the base with a 50:50 male to female complement. Facilities, as the Tánaiste can imagine, are totally inadequate with small, limited showering, changing and locker room facilities, especially for female staff, as well as very small rest rooms and almost non-existent kitchen facilities. While this has been flagged for a number of years and is included in the HSE capital programme, it needs to be progressed urgently. I ask the Tánaiste to intervene to make sure that happens.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I agree with him that we need to continue to invest in the bases for our ambulance service. I will certainly seek an update from the Minister for Health on the plan for the new ambulance base at the Tipperary hospital in Clonmel. My understanding from conversations I have had is that the Minister hopes to bring forward the HSE capital plan this month. That, perhaps, will be a moment of update. I will certainly ask her to come back directly to the Deputy.