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Brassil: Killarney needs more ambulances

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Fianna Fáil TD John Brassil has called on Minister for Health Simon Harris to ensure that the Killarney area is adequately serviced by locally based ambulances.

Deputy Brassil made the call following receipt of information from the HSE that shows that two out of every five ambulance call-outs in the Killarney area were serviced by ambulances from outside the catchment area.

“In 2016, there were 1357 requests for ambulance support in the Killarney area with a massive 573 of these requiring the support of ambulances not based in the area,” Brassil said.

“While of course there might be certain situations where an ambulance from a neighbouring area might be best served dealing with an emergency call, when just fewer than 40% of calls are being dealt with by external ambulances, there is a problem.

“It’s clear to me that there simply aren’t enough ambulances located in the Killarney area to service the growing needs of the town and surrounding communities.

"We shouldn’t be relying on ambulances from other areas to look after the needs of local people. Killarney is a big town, with a large hinterland.

“The HSE, the National Ambulance Service and the Minister need to commit to providing additional ambulance cover during the day and at night. There is at present just one ambulance covering the area locally. This is wholly inadequate,” concluded Brassil.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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