Eden ambulance service pulled

HSE funding for the ambulance bay in Edenderry was pulled because no access road would be available for work to be carried out on the site this year. It was agreed between Offaly County Council and the developer, McGill Construction, that in order for a housing development of 119 units to go ahead, the contractor also had to build the ambulance bay and health centres. However, due to the general downturn in the construction industry and the drop in demand for housing, the developer is not going ahead with the site works, including the access road, which would pave the way for works to begin on the ambulance bay. 'People are very annoyed, there"s no question about that,' said Fianna Fáil County Councillor Noel Bourke. 'However, we will be pushing for the project to go ahead next year, and that the funding will be made available.' Edenderry Town Council members are due to discuss the withdrawal of funding by the HSE at next week"s monthly town council meeting. Councillors expressed anger and dismay at the news that the funding, that they were told was ringfenced, will now be postponed until next year at the earliest. They also said that they believed that an ambulance was ready and waiting in Tullamore. The decision by the HSE to withdraw the capital funding for the proposed ambulance station for Edenderry has been described as disgraceful by Edenderry local election candidate Declan Leddin. 'Ordinary families and elderly people will suffer as a result of the HSE decision,' said Mr Leddin. 'We now know that yet another promise has been broken.' Mr Leddin is calling on the councillors to make public the minutes of the last meeting held between the HSE and local councillors regarding the funding of the ambulance bay and MIDOC centre. In a statement released in response to the news of the cut in funding this year, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said that he will remain in close contact with the HSE to ensure that this important project for the town of Edenderry remains 'uppermost on their agenda' and that funds are made available as soon as 'realistically possible'. 'This is disappointing news for Edenderry but with the HSE having to reprioritise their funding for this year, they are obliged to focus, in the first instance, on projects they can complete and bring into service. Unfortunately, this project was not among those that were ready to proceed to that point,' said the Taoiseach.