Pathfinder in Galway is made of six members who are therapists and advanced paramedics. This group is at the front line of emergency calls for our elderly. When a 999 call comes in for an elderly person who has fallen, Pathfinder is dispatched first to access and treat, if possible, the elderly person in their own home. Councillor Noel Thomas tells me that for over 80% of its callouts, it can treat the person where they are. This eliminates the stressful ordeal for the elderly person of having to be brought by ambulance to a crowded accident and emergency department. The HSE and the Minister are ordering this group to cease its operations for the month of March and to instead work in the accident and emergency department of Galway hospital in case there is a surge in patients. They did the same thing last year and there was no surge, so why are they doing it again and disrupting the great service that Pathfinder delivers? Will the Tánaiste ask the Minister to explain how this makes any sense and to please leave Pathfinder doing this vital service uninterrupted for the month of March?

I want to answer the very serious question but I want to make the point that the Deputy must win the award for the party leader most effective at naming his councillors in this Chamber, particularly in the context of a by-election. I say that from a point of admiration. I must learn further from the Deputy. Senator Seán Kyne is ours.

There is a serious matter, though, that the Deputy raised and I genuinely do not want to take from that. In regard to Pathfinder, University Hospital Galway tells me it is using the period of the next two weeks to focus on de-escalating the hospital after what has been an exceptionally busy period in the past two months. The regional executive officer, at the request of Bernard Gloster, the CEO of the HSE, has put a plan in place to take the pressure off the Galway sites and all services are assisting with that. The National Ambulance Service, though, is an essential service and while all staff, including Pathfinder, will play their part in supporting what is a temporary plan, there is absolutely no question of the service ending. I assure the Deputy and the House of that today. I have spoken to the CEO of the HSE on this and he has assured me of it as well. I will also ask him to come back to the Deputy on it directly.