Cancer care campaigners from Donegal travelled to Leinster House on Tuesday to highlight the urgent need for the restoration of reliable, same-day, and midday medical access on the Donegal–Dublin PSO route.
They met with Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, who assured the delegation that he would work with senior officials to resolve their concerns.
He acknowledged the depth of anger and frustration in Donegal and accepted the seriousness of the current situation.
His department had intended to carry out a three-month review into the operation of the newly proposed timetable, but this has been shelved due to the tireless advocacy and pressure from local campaigners.
Mary Coyle, who manages Donegal Cancer Flights and Services, spoke to the Donegal News following Tuesday’s meeting.
She said it was reassuring to get that commitment from the minister but stressed that they still need to see the outcome.
Minister O’Brien is meeting with the airline on Friday.
“They’re looking to see if there are any legal implications, and then they will come back to us with a way forward by the middle of next week,” Ms Coyle explained.
“We put together an extensive amount of paperwork to show the need to hold onto the present schedule and that the aircraft will be housed in Carrickfinn overnight.”
The group arrived in Dublin with the whole county standing behind them. They had 20,295 signatures between online and paper-based petitions, along with letters of support from Donegal County Council, Donegal Local Development CLG, language planning offices, and cancer support centres all over Ireland.
They also had the support of a strong, united voice among Donegal’s TDs and Senators.
“I was really so proud,” Mary said.
“We assured him, as we were leaving, that if we weren’t happy with the outcome next week, we would mobilise the people of Donegal and return to Leinster House in much larger numbers.”
The minister told the delegation that he had learned a lot during their meeting, including how PSO tenders are framed.
The delegation also invited Minister O’Brien to travel to Donegal on the midday flight and land at the world’s most scenic airport to see for himself the importance of restoring the timetable, not only for healthcare but for local tourism as well.
