Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have some knowledge of this issue, having been previously in a Department that was involved with and connected to Dublin City Council. As the Deputy knows, this has been an ongoing discussion for quite some time, trying to ensure we have the best possible pre-hospital emergency response capacity in Dublin. Undoubtedly we have a very well trained and highly capable fire service in Dublin but we also have a very competent ambulance service linked to hospitals and the HSE.

With respect, I do not think it should be politicians who decide on what the best mix and collaboration between two excellent services should look like in future. We should leave it to the experts and the management teams of both to interact. Of course, we have to provide much of the funding to make sure the service is well funded and can do the job it needs to do but the actual technical elements of emergency response and using the resources we have in the Dublin fire service as well as the ambulance service should be left to the experts, with respect.

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