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

It is neither my function nor that of the Minister for Health to determine where ambulances are located. Rather, it is a matter for the National Ambulance Service, which has received a budget increase every year in recent years. It is for that service to decide where it is best to locate new ambulances. However, it is important to bear in mind that it now uses a dynamic deployment system whereby rather than being assigned to specific areas, ambulances operate as a fleet, with the nearest one to a call attending the location. I acknowledge that targets on response times are not being met and the Minister is very aware of that.

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