Concern over removal of role from Belmullet health facility

Sinn Féin TD for Mayo, Rose Conway-Walsh, has raised serious concerns over the transfer of a clerical support role from the Primary Care facility in Belmullet to South Mayo, warning that the decision represents yet another erosion of essential services in rural communities.

Deputy Conway-Walsh said the role currently provides important administrative support across a number of local health services, including physiotherapy, public health nursing and school-related appointments.

“This is deeply concerning for the people of Belmullet and the wider Erris community. Removing local clerical support is not simply an administrative change, it has a direct impact on frontline services and on the patients and families who depend on them.

“Staff working in physiotherapy, public health nursing and other services need proper administrative support so that they can concentrate on providing healthcare. It is completely unreasonable to expect healthcare professionals to absorb clerical duties on top of their existing responsibilities,” said the Erris TD.

She called for the decision to be reviewed.

“This is part of a much wider problem facing rural communities. Bit by bit, essential services and jobs are being centralised and taken away from towns like Belmullet. Each individual decision may be presented as a minor restructuring, but the cumulative effect is the stripping away of vital local services.

“I am calling on the HSE to urgently review this decision and provide clarity on how physiotherapy, public health nursing, school appointments and other services currently supported by this role will be administered once the local clerical position is removed.

“People living in rural Mayo are entitled to accessible, properly staffed public services, the quality of which should not be dictated by geography. We need investment in local services and local jobs, not their gradual removal,” said Deputy Conway-Walsh.