Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He talks about saving money and reconfiguring and reforming the delivery of our services on the ground but all places are not the same. Save Our Ambulance Kenmare under the chairmanship of Michael Hayes was formed to retain our 24-hour, seven-day week ambulance service for the town and did excellent work in highlighting how important it was to have a full ambulance service in the town. It highlighted a situation that could arise as a result of taking the ambulance out of Kenmare to cover Killarney because there will be only one basic ambulance serving that big town. Its work has been successful but when that ambulance goes, situations could arise. The town is a very busy place in the summer. There are road accidents and an elderly population. If a person does not have the service of a proper ambulance and if a first responder or some other vehicle goes back to Kenmare, which is a good two hours from Kerry General Hospital, the delay incurred by first sending a first responder, stabilising the patient and then having to wait for an ambulance to come from God only knows where at that stage - Tralee, Cork or Bantry - would be enormous. One would be talking about many hours before that person would finish up in an acute hospital. That would ultimately lead to the loss of lives, which is why I am grateful to have the opportunity to have this Topical Issues debate today, but the Minister of State's response does not deal with the problem we are facing on the ground.

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