Calls for reinstatement of Carna services

North-West MEP Jim Higgins has hit out at the closure of Carna Dental Centre, accusing Minister for Health James Reilly of taking “all public services away from people in the richest Gaeltacht in the country”.

As a result of the public service recruitment embargo, the facility will be put out of service at the end of the month. However, Mr Higgins is calling for the facility to be reinstated and said he has already approached Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the subject.

“As soon as I learnt of the closure of the Carna Dental facility, I immediately contacted James Reilly to see what he could do. It is not good enough that people in Carna, which is a small local community, will have essential services pulled from the heart of the community. As it is, there is a lack of public services in this area. Iocann muintir Cois Fharraige a gcuid cain ar nos muintir na Cathrach, agus ba cheart go mbeadh an seirbhis phoibli seo ar fail doibh,” said MEP Higgins.

“If you take all the services out of south Connemara, you'll eventually see that people will follow and leave the area also. That is something I do not want to see happen,” he added.