Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Over the past few years, the national ambulance service, NAS, has undertaken significant reconfiguration and modernisation of its services. It now operates on a national and regional rather than a local basis. Ambulance resources, including rapid response vehicles with advanced paramedics, are dynamically deployed over an area from individual stations within, and surrounding, that area. This helps to ensure optimum cover is provided and that the NAS is best placed to respond to calls as they arise. I understand that the capacity review has been completed and will inform how NAS deploys resources across specific areas.

Across the north Leinster area, dynamic cover is currently provided from stations in Monaghan, Castleblayney, Cavan, Virginia, Dundalk, Ardee, Drogheda, Navan, Trim and Dunshaughlin. In the event of a high volume of emergency ambulance calls in the north east area, the NAS may seek assistance, if necessary, from colleagues in the Northern Ireland ambulance service. There has been considerable investment in new technology which ensures the nearest available and appropriate resource is dispatched to an incident.

I am aware that concerns were raised prior to the Christmas and new year period regarding the level of cover which would be available in the area, given the number of staff who had announced annual leave around the holiday period. However, the NAS has advised that leave arrangements for the period were finalised in the normal fashion and that an appropriate level of cover was provided during that period.

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