Last year the Western Health Board opened a successful physiotherapy service in the Louisburgh area. The service caters for Westport, Inishturk and Clare Island, and the people of the area are delighted with it. The service was funded under the general practitioners' drugs subsidy scheme by doctors saving money on drugs. Poor people were effectively subsidising the service, but the doctors and patients managed to gather the necessary money for it.
Many elderly people use the service and are happy with it. However, the Western Health Board has decided to locate the service in Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar. The people want the service, with which they are delighted, retained in the area. If it is moved, a person from Inishturk or Clare Island will have to travel by boat to the mainland and get a bus from Louisburgh to Castlebar. They will have to make the return journey in the evening. At present, they can travel to the mainland by boat in the morning and return home early.
Governments and health boards have been talking for the past 30 years about bringing services to the people. This service was brought to the people who responded to it and are delighted with it. Why fix something that is not broken? The service works and the people are happy with it. As the Minister of State, Deputy Moffatt, is aware, a physiotherapy service has not been available in his town of Ballina, Belmullet and other parts of the county. I am aware of the case of a young person who left hospital last week and who needs physiotherapy. However, the person received a letter from the health board yesterday stating that it would be six months before a physiotherapist would be available to treat them in Belmullet.
Ballina has been without a physiotherapist in recent months. The people of Louisburgh and surrounding areas are delighted with the service there because it bring business to the town. People from other parts of the county are travelling to Louisburgh which is a small rural town. I plead with the Minister to speak to the health board and make the correct decision to leave that good service in place. Why is it necessary for people aged over 65 years to travel to Castlebar for treatment? More than 300 elderly people live in the area and they must travel by bus from Louisburgh to Castlebar. These people are in pain and in need of physiotherapy. I urge the Minister to leave the service in place. He should not fix what is not broken.