Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-05
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

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.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:44+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-05