THE weekly helicopter service to and from Tory will resume this morning, Saturday.
The helicopter will be stationed at Falcarragh and the service will continue until April 14 next. Helicopter services on Tory ceased operating in March.
The Government doubled helicopter services to Tory three years ago, with the flight in and out of the island to Falcarragh increasing from one day a fortnight to once a week.
Tory Co-Op Manager, Marjorie Uí Cearbhaill said it was an important service for islanders.
“It will run for 29 days this season with flights starting at 9am and finishing at 4pm.
“It really is a life-line for islanders who maybe have hospital appointments and it’s difficult to know what sea conditions will be like, especially in the winter months,” she said.
The HSE has a long-standing arrangement to provide a helicopter service for transporting a GP, Public Health Nurse and other HSE primary care staff.
This requirement will again be met this year by Executive Helicopters Maintenance Ltd.
“It will run this Saturday and next Saturday before switching to two Thursdays and two Fridays per month. We share the service with the HSE who will bring the doctor and nurse out on a Thursday. The nurse changes over every fortnight while the HSE would also bring staff for various clinics,” Ms Uí Cearbhaill said.
The helicopter service carries four passengers at a time but will make extra journeys depending on the demand.
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