Mr. Geoff McEvoy:

I will speak to some of the points that the Senator raised. On investment in staffing and recruitment, there is a critical need for additional recruitment into the fire service in Dublin. This issue is impacting on ambulance provision, which is the subject of today's discussion, but also on the fire service. It is jeopardising the safe system of work under which firefighters need to operate and is creating health and safety concerns in that regard.

On early interventions and pre-hospital care, it is worth reminding the committee and anyone who is watching about the service that the personnel in the DFB and the NAS can provide. It is not simply that someone calls an ambulance, it arrives at the scene and the person is put into the back of it and taken to hospital. The personnel are trained to be able to deliver critical paramedic care as soon as they arrive. That is saving lives and producing better outcomes for patients but it takes longer. When we consider questions of response times, we also need to factor in the type of care and work that is going on during that time.

The Senator mentioned supports. I will not go into the details but perhaps some of my colleagues can provide them. It is the case that DFB crews see the worst that life in the city has to offer. They arrive on scenes involving road traffic accidents, domestic fires and incidents in the city centre. They deal with the absolute worst on a daily basis.