Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue concerning a county I know well. The National Ambulance Service has embarked on a strategic reform programme to reconfigure the management and delivery of pre-hospital emergency care services. The programme aims to deliver a service that is safe, responsive and fit for purpose through the development of a modern, clinically driven and nationally co-ordinated system supported by technology and data.

The National Ambulance Service capacity review was published in 2016 and examined overall ambulance resource levels and distribution against demand and activity. It made several recommendations to improve performance and indicated the only practical way to improve first response times in rural areas is through voluntary community first responders schemes. It is interesting that the first external review of our ambulance service specifically discussed voluntary community first responders schemes. There are 22 such groups linked to the National Ambulance Service operating across Wicklow and I thank them for all their work.

The programme for Government commits to additional annual investment in ambulances, personnel and vehicles. A total of €7.2 million in additional funding was provided in 2016 and an additional sum of €3.6 million was made available in 2017. I am happy to confirm that increased funding will be made available for more ambulances and paramedics in 2018. The national service plan is due to be published in the coming weeks and the detail of the increased funding will be set out therein. I appreciate the need for additional ambulance resources in the parts of Wicklow the Deputy referenced. That will be considered by the National Ambulance Service in the context of putting together its plan for 2018. The Government is providing additional funding.

In Wicklow town there are two emergency ambulances during the day from Monday to Sunday, two during the night on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and one during the night on Wednesday and Thursdays. In Arklow there is one emergency ambulance during the day on Mondays and from Wednesday to Sunday and one during the night from Monday to Sunday. In Baltinglass there is one emergency ambulance during the day from Tuesday to Sunday and one during the night from Monday to Sunday. I am very eager for that to be increased and approved, as the Deputy can imagine. I expect the National Ambulance Service will outline the details of its plans for 2018 when it publishes its report.

See this speech in context