Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for attending today's meeting. I acknowledge and welcome those who are present in the Gallery.

The statistics that Mr. Dixon mentioned by way of comparison obviously make for stark and compelling reading. I would like to drill into them. When he mentioned that Northern Ireland has 1,200 staff, Scotland has 4,500 staff and Ireland has 1,600 staff, was he comparing like with like? Are they all the same kind of staff? Are there different staff categories in Scotland that we do not have, or are known by a different name here? Can I get that information from Mr. Dixon? I have asked for it from other bodies previously. It appears that they do not have it, which is very odd. I would also like to ask for a breakdown of the different figures that were provided for vehicles. We were told that there are 350 vehicles in Northern Ireland and 450 vehicles in Scotland. It appears that we have 265 vehicles. Is a breakdown of those figures available somewhere? Is there a spreadsheet that sets out simply that they have ten type A vehicles but we have just two type A vehicles?

I am looking for a clear and simple analysis of the difference between the per capita resources we have and the per capita resources that other countries have. These figures also need to be broken down to the next level. The HIQA standards to which the paramedics need to adhere, which are obviously difficult, are based on best practice. Our target achievement rate, in the cases of Echo and Delta calls, is 85%. The rate we are currently achieving is between 68% and 70%. How are Scotland and Northern Ireland performing with regard to their targets, which are also set on the basis of best practice? Are they much better than we are? Do they have different targets or variable targets? Is it simply the case that they hit better targets because they have better resources?

During the presentation, Mr. Dixon said that the HSE asked HIQA to lessen the targets. On what basis was that done? The presentation does not say what that was based on. They did not say what it was based on. I know the witnesses have firm ideas about what is causing us not to hit the targets. Why did the HSE ask HIQA to relax the targets? Has the National Ambulance Service Representative Association contacted HIQA, on foot of the HIQA reports that came out recently and in the medium past, to make representations regarding what it considers to be causing the difficulties of its members? If it has made such representations, what kind of response has been received from HIQA?