I wish to raise the substandard and dangerous state of disrepair Drogheda ambulance station is currently in. I have over recent months raised this directly with the Minister and during a Topical Issue debate several weeks ago, I elevated major concerns around subsidence, mould, electrical faults and security and safety concerns among other things. I requested that the Minister engage with the National Ambulance Service on immediate works. I also asked her to seek an update on the long-mooted new base for paramedics in Drogheda. I also requested that she visit the station to see this dire situation for herself. To my knowledge, I do not think any of this has been actioned just yet.

This week, local media are reporting that chunks of the building are falling down, exposing holes where the rain is causing further electrical problems and that paramedics in this base, believe it or not, have to wear a raincoat to work. It is wholly unacceptable that front-line workers in my constituency, or anywhere else for that matter, are left to work in such unsafe, unsanitary conditions. What is worse is that this has been known by senior figures in the National Ambulance Service and, indeed, by the Minister for some time and yet the situation is deteriorating by the day.

We need urgent intervention here. Any risk posed to the paramedics working in this station is risk posed to the lives of the people of Drogheda and beyond whom they serve. I ask the Tánaiste to follow up with the Minister directly as a matter of urgency.

I thank the Deputy for raising that issue. I absolutely will follow it up directly with the Minister for Health. As the Deputy said, we want all of our public servants, including our front-line emergency staff, to work in fit-for-purpose but most importantly safe environments. That sounds like a very serious situation. I will directly speak with the Minister for Health and ask that we make contact with the National Ambulance Service as well.