A second palliative care bed to be provided by the Department of Health in Longford will not meet the needs of locals.
That's the view of a local councillor following the confirmation that the extra bed will be provided at St Joseph's care centre in Longford when refurbishment is complete.
Currently the Longford Hospice service has one palliative care bed available with a long running campaign to extend the services.
The issue was raised in the Seanad this morning by Senator Micheál Carrigy who again emphasised the need for the service.
Longford Councillor Peggy Nolan says the provision of just one extra bed is another example of the neglect the county faces.
"Longford is not being looked after on a level par with our neighbouring counties. It's not good enough and the people of Longford need to wake up. They need to see what's happening and if a campaign is necessary, I will be calling on the support of the people in the county. This is one fight we cannot lose. When you have someone at the end of life stage, and you need special care for that person, one bed has been proven totally insufficient".
