Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the Chairman's opening remarks about ambulances being stalled outside of hospitals and being held up. That is something that is really of concern. Obviously, it could be a waste of very valuable time.

We should acknowledge the wonderful work of the National Ambulance Service. From time to time, when people come to my clinics or speak to me, they refer to the wonderful work those people put in, many of them in very difficult circumstances. I want to acknowledge the great work that they do.

In respect of our own county of Roscommon and the Roscommon-Galway constituency, I acknowledge what the Minister said about Tuam and Mulranny and the base in Loughglynn. My understanding in respect of Loughglynn is that the ambulance was actually taken from the base at Roscommon University Hospital and it covers that area. I do not think it is a new ambulance. I am asking for clarification as I may be wrong about that, but that would be of concern. Again I make the point to the Minister that when a county loses its accident and emergency department, it is so critical and important that there is a top class ambulance service.

If an ambulance from the west has done a call to a Dublin hospital and is on its way back, it can then be called to an accident. That is fair enough. If it is somewhere in Kildare and there is an accident which it is called to, that is fair enough. A difficulty is created, however, back in Roscommon, Galway, Sligo and Donegal because the ambulance which should have been back after a certain period of time is not back. I would be concerned about such situations. Sometimes ambulances have to come into the county when an accident occurs because the other ambulance is on its way from Dublin and has been called to the scene of another accident. In that case, an ambulance has to come from, for example, Longford, Offaly or Cavan to the scene of an accident in Roscommon. I do not know whether the Minister has any comment to make on that but it is of concern to me.