Despite the announcement that funding would be given to expand ambulance services in Connemara, concerns remain over the location of an ambulance base for the region.
The funding was announced recently by Minister Stephen Donnelly, while the National Ambulance Service said it will be looking to identify “an enduring premise for the new services”. However, it added the site must have “a suitable population density location” and that “community support” will be required.
Sinn Féin Galway West TD, Mairéad Farrell [pictured], has welcomed this progress, but says the location of the new ambulance base remains a concern for those involved in the campaign.
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“I commend everyone who has been involved in getting to this point in establishing a dedicated ambulance service for Connemara, particularly the Conamara Ambulance Crisis Group,” she said. “However, it is absolutely crucial that local community knowledge and input is centred when selecting a site for this service.”
The Conamara Ambulance Crisis Group has been calling for the base to be established at a geographically central location, such as Maam Cross. However, it has argued against using population density as the metric to select a location.
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“Connemara is a geographically vast region with a low population density,” said Dep Farrell. “Rather, a centralized location such as Maam Cross which would have access to both north and south Connemara would be preferable.
Dep Farrell has written to the National Ambulance Service urging it to seek local input when making this decision, and according to the TD, the NAS has indicated it will do this.
