My two colleagues are standing together with me on this issue because it is so important. It is the provision of an ambulance service base in Recess, Connemara. Tonight, we have had confirmation on paper that tender documents are ready to issue in April. Are they ready? Have they issued? The construction date is July, to be finished within six months. In a nutshell, is that what the Minister of State is going to tell us tonight? This issue has spanned three elections with different colleagues. The former deputy, Éamon Ó Cuív, was very much involved in this as indeed were other colleagues. The people on the ground have worked with us. The reply I have received states this started in 2020. The campaign started way back in 2014. I have correspondence going back seven years regarding the need for an ambulance service on the ground. I am repeating that they persisted over three elections to tell us how important presenting the figures was. To get as far as we have is success but we need confirmation regarding the dates given the extraordinary delays to date.

Sentiment score: 0.11

I thank the Minister of State for taking a hands-on approach. There are 11 sentences, two of which refer to the issue we raised. It goes back three and possibly four elections but I do not wish to exaggerate. We have confirmation from the former assistant national director that tender documents were to issue in April and building was to start in July and finish by the end of the year. We have a tiny bit more information into a stage 2 report - fire certificates. When will the tender documents issue and when will building start? At the very least, this is what the group on the ground wants. It deserves a little respect after all its work over three elections for an essential service. We need confirmation of that. As has been said, we were forced to raise this Topical Issue because the targets have slipped so often.

Sentiment score: -0.03