James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A significant development programme has been under way in recent years across all areas of the National Ambulance Service. The service continues to modernise and reconfigure its services to ensure emergency pre-hospital care is delivered in an appropriate and timely manner. Since 2012, in particular, there have been significant changes in rostering and work organisation arrangements for paramedic and control staff, following Labour Court recommendations. These changes have included addressing arrangements which are obsolete in the provision of a modern pre-hospital emergency service, such as moving from rostering with built-in overtime to arrangements which reflect a standard 39 hour week. The move from on-call rostering, where staff are off-site waiting to be summoned, to on-duty rostering, where paramedic crews are in their stations or vehicles during shifts, is ongoing. This is leading to faster deployment because the crew is in position to respond immediately to calls, rather than having to wait for the average on-call deployment period of over 20 minutes. On-duty rostering is now in place across much of the State. As part of the modernisation programme, an ongoing review of service provision is taking place in the former south-east area. This includes consideration of rostering arrangements and resource allocation. I am aware the Deputy has concerns regarding Cashel ambulance station. I am informed by the National Ambulance Service there have been no changes in respect of cover or rostering arrangements at that station.

The reform programme that is under way will ensure we have a clinically driven and nationally co-ordinated system that is supported by improved technology. Development funding of €3.6 million and 43 additional staff have been provided for in the 2014 national service plan. The national control centre reconfiguration project is a key measure in this programme. The National Ambulance Service has traditionally operated in eight ambulance regions, with no inter-connection of radio and computer systems. This has delayed improvements in emergency response times, particularly at regional boundaries where the nearest ambulance may have been in the neighbouring region. The control centre project is moving to one national control system, on two sites, with significant investment in new voice, data and mapping technologies. This will allow the National Ambulance Service to deploy emergency resources more effectively and efficiently, regionally and nationally rather than within small geographic areas. The national centre will be located in Tallaght and Ballyshannon, with the project expected to be completed next year. I assure the House that the National Ambulance Service will continue to modernise and reconfigure its services to ensure emergency pre-hospital care is delivered in an appropriate and timely manner.

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