Deputy Doherty was speaking following attending a meeting hosted by the Trade Unions IMPACT and SIPTU regarding the current threats to the NOWDOC services in Donegal.
No Government Oireachtas members turned up for the meeting.
Deputy Doherty said: “I wish to commend both IMPACT and SIPTU trade unions for inviting all Donegal Oireachtas members to come together in order to resist the dismantling of the NOWDOC services that are currently being provided at centres in Gweedore, Mountcharles and Carndonagh. While it was disappointing that no government member attended the meeting, there was a clear focus and determination from the rest of us to ensure that this vital service that is being provided to the public remains intact.
“There is no doubt that if the HSE proposals are successful in redeploying 16 staff out of this service that it will have a major impact on the communities it serves. This coupled with the real fear that the service will discontinue completely from Midnight to 8 am in the three centres would in effect see the dismantling of the service by the HSE.
“The meeting agreed to consider hosting a number of public meeting in each of the areas affect to raise awareness of the issue. I fully support this proposal.”