POLITICAL action is needed to secure reliable healthcare services for Cape Clear, according to Fianna Fáil politician Billy Kelleher.
The Ireland South MEP said residents and their families had contacted him about gaps in nursing cover on the island.
A submission received this week indicated that nursing services were unavailable for up to 50% of the time in some months, with little to no nursing care during the busy summer tourist season.
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“It’s clear that a political intervention is needed to ensure that Cape Clear gets the basic healthcare needs it requires to maintain basic services for its residents,” he said.
He said the island’s ageing population had increasingly complex medical needs, including regular blood tests.
Without a full-time nurse, residents may have to travel to the mainland for treatment, involving an eight- to 10-hour round trip, he added.
“This is neither fair nor safe in my opinion,” Mr Kelleher said. “We need a political intervention from the very top to ensure that nursing cover is increased to make island-living practicable and safe for all.”
He has written to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, asking her to engage with the HSE on improving nursing provision and ideally appointing a public health nurse for the island.
“If we want more of our citizens, especially those living in Gaeltacht communities, to stay on our islands and more remote locations, we need to provide them with the services they need,” he said.
