The HSE’s publication of tender documents for the long-campaigned-for ambulance bay at Recess in Connemara has been welcomed by Fianna Fáil Galway West TD, John Connolly.
The issuing of tenders will finally allow construction to go ahead on a facility people in the region have campaigned for more than a decade, and which has experienced numerous delays over the years.
Deputy Connolly, who spoke previously on the issue in the Dáil, said the publication of tenders provides some “light at the end of a long tunnel”.
The additional ambulance bay is planned for the former health centre in Recess. The works will involve turning the existing single-storey health centre in Recess into an ambulance base, with two bays for ambulance parking and two car parking spaces. The building is also planned to be universally accessible.
The estimated costs, excluding VAT, will be €700,000. Construction is expected to take six months. Planning permission was given by Galway County Council.
The HSE had prepared tender documents, and construction was expected to start in late 2024. Later, it was understood that tender documents were to be issued in April 2025, with the start of construction set for this month [July]. However, the documents were only published this week. Interested parties must respond to the Tender request by August 8.
“The people of Connemara have been waiting too long for this additional ambulance service,” said Deputy Connolly. “It is symptomatic of how long it takes and how arduous it is to progress a capital project.”
Currently, Connemara has an ambulance base in Clifden and one in An Cheathru Rua. Locating a bay at Recess would provide a more central location, which could respond quickly to incidents in central and eastern Connemara.
Speaking in the Dáil on the issue, Deputy Connolly outlined the current issues with the region, citing the recent incident of a local rugby match where a player suffered a dislocated knee and “waited 70 minutes” for an ambulance to arrive.
“The publication of the tenders will finally allow a contractor to be appointed and construction to go ahead,” said Deputy Connolly. “It is a pity it has taken this long, but in 2026, the people of Connemara should finally have the required ambulance service the region deserves.”
