Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Minister that the points I have made are absolutely true. What we are seeking is an explanation of what the Minister is going to do about this crisis situation. Will he significantly increase the numbers of trained personnel and ambulances? When is he going to do this? What will he do in respect of HSE mismanagement of the service? This includes, for example, the scandalous use of rapid response vehicles as personal cars for managers. They are sitting outside their homes for long periods or in fleets at specific meetings that have been called having been driven there from different parts of the country and remaining for long periods out of service to the ambulance provision.

Is the Minister aware of the serious concern in the city of Dublin that the HSE is lining up to take control of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service? This arises against the backdrop of a serious lack of confidence not only in the city but throughout the country in the HSE's capacity to provide a state-of-the-art and fully reliable ambulance service.

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