Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Last week, the Minister for Justice and Equality, currently seated beside the Tánaiste, assured me that the Government takes seriously the motions passed by the majority in this House. Where is the evidence of that? In all my time in this House, never has the majority voice in the Dáil been ignored so often as in this Dáil by this Government.

In June of this year, the Dáil passed a motion on Dublin Fire Brigade. We recognised that Dublin Fire Brigade provides crucial ambulance services. The Dáil rejected the suggestion of merging that ambulance service with the National Ambulance Service and of removing any element of Dublin Fire Brigade's fire-based emergency medical service system. The Dáil accepted a Labour Party amendment to that motion, calling on the Government to implement in full the report of the expert panel on pre-hospital emergency care services in Dublin which was published in December 2015. What has the Government's response been? As far as we can tell, management in Dublin City Council is not engaging in a process of discussion with Dublin Fire Brigade. We understand that simple, low-cost technical solutions are available to address specific concerns raised by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. This would permit a seamless communication link-up between Dublin Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service.

We have invested over the years to create a system of fire-based emergency response, including ambulances and highly-trained paramedics in our fire service. It is fairly unique for the fire service to be trained paramedics. It is a great addition. Other countries are moving in that direction. In the UK, there is a move towards integrating blue light services. They see that as best practice, to generate efficiencies and enhance public safety. We have been doing it in this city for over 100 years.

For some unknown reason, we have decided to move in the other direction from what is now regarded as best practice elsewhere, which is to model on what has been achieved in Dublin. There is a concern that our fire-based ambulance services are not being properly funded. This, of course, in and of itself is a risk to public safety. My simple question to the Tánaiste is will he now undertake to implement the resolutions passed by the Dáil Éireann to maintain and fully restore Dublin Fire Brigade's ambulance service for this city and county?

See this speech in context