Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will begin by acknowledging the work that paramedics do throughout the State day in, day out. They are the first on the scene to horrific incidents and they tend to people at the most frightening times of their lives. They do all of this under immense and growing pressure. I also acknowledge the National Ambulance Service and the management team there. Last year, I spoke to them about an ambulance blackspot in west Roscommon in my constituency. It had been identified by HIQA in 2014 as a blackspot. At that time, there was just a day service Monday to Friday that closed at 6 p.m. and a night service on Saturdays and Sundays with no day service. There was only one permanent crew in place during that time and the four people were run ragged. I do not know how they did it. For me they very much sum up the incredible commitment of our paramedics throughout the State.

I brought this issue to the attention of the National Ambulance Service. It conducted a report and found that between January 2019 and October 2020 a staggering total of 4,259 calls were received for the Loughglinn region of which more than 93% were emergency calls. On the back of this report, the NAS agreed to make the Loughglinn service 24-7. I am grateful that the NAS not only listened but acted and did so very speedily. Now is the time the Government has to act. While that was a positive and a good news story at long last for west Roscommon, we have an issue in that there is a total lack of resources nationally. This is stretching ambulances and paramedics on duty to the absolute limit.

Every day, several texts go to paramedics offering overtime in various areas to cover shifts. In many cases they physically cannot be done. I know of several texts that went out this week for counties Roscommon, Mayo and Galway. As has been said, paramedics are also working dangerously long hours. I know of a shift last week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the crew did not get back to base until 3 a.m. the next morning. There are issues, which need to be dealt with. They have been highlighted. As has been said, this is not Sinn Féin saying this; this is paramedics on the ground. We need to act.

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