Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very important debate. When we debate an issue such as ambulance cover, we must acknowledge it is a highly emotive subject, as a recent example in my county illustrates. That was highly emotive and highly charged because a family lost a loved one. Time will tell exactly what happened, what should have happened and what should not have happened. I would like to put on record again the death of Mrs. Porter on the side of the road in Carndonagh. She was on a footpath waiting, along with her loved ones, for nearly an hour for an ambulance. That was wrong and should not have happened. I expect any investigation into such a situation will prove management systems were not working properly and were not functioning in the best interests of citizens. On that particular night in Donegal there was a helicopter nearby, a number of ambulances at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry and up to four ambulances at Letterkenny General Hospital. While there were also emergency responders available, there was no effective communications system in place to ensure an ambulance got there on time. My constituency colleague, Councillor Bernie McGuinness, has argued repeatedly there should be two ambulances in Inishowen in order that when one is dispatched, emergency cover is still available. That should be taken into consideration in this debate.

Many Irish companies are embracing new changes within the United Kingdom and are using new technology for effective communication systems. As regards the Minister's contribution concerning the new mechanisms, no doubt new technology will be embrace that aspect also. It is not just for paramedics and others involved in emergency services, but also for the public. Citizens should be able to pick up their iPhones and see exactly where there is emergency cover at a given time. If someone is telephoning in sick and cannot go to work, a replacement system should be in place to ensure a proper, fully functioning, open and transparent communications system so that unnecessary delays do not occur.

Members of this House can debate politically to and fro, while referring to governments past, present and future. However, there is no accountability in this country when it comes to people in charge losing their jobs. The only people who lose their jobs are Members of this House because people will say: "We'll get rid of the last shower and will put in the new crowd to give them a chance". Ultimately, however, there is no accountability. There should therefore be a buck-stopping mechanism for those in well paid public service and Civil Service management jobs.

The aftermath of the flooding of Letterkenny General Hospital left a sour taste in the mouths of many local people who are asking questions about why it received planning permission. How did an engineer sign off on a building for which there was no proper system to ensure the culvert was cleared? All these questions are in the minds of the public, including those who have lost loved ones. Where does the buck stop? The media will have a field day blaming Government Ministers and other politicians for this and that. It is time we grew up in this House, however, and sought a mechanism whereby people in responsible positions, who are in charge of life-or-death scenarios, should be fully accountable. The buck needs to stop with them. If people are in charge when things go wrong, heads should roll. We need to debate that matter here.

There are protection mechanisms for people working in the public service. Many people in the public service are on very low wages, but a minority of staff are on very high salaries with highly responsible jobs. They are in charge of deciding whether people live or die, so we need a mechanism whereby the buck stops with them. People who are not performing in the right capacity should lose their jobs.

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