Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Everybody in Carlow can rest assured that the county will not be forgotten as long as she is in the House. As I stated, she has raised this issue on so many occasions and I know how important it is. I can assure the House that the Government remains committed to resourcing the National Ambulance Service across the country, including in the south east.

As I have outlined in the limited time available to me, the NAS is currently undergoing a multi-annual reform programme which is prioritising investment in new service developments, including increased manpower and fleet, and improved technology. This has involved significant investment on the part of the Government. For instance, the €200 million being allocated to the NAS this year represents an increase of no less than €30 million on the allocation for 2019. This funding is facilitating an increase in paramedic staff numbers to target capacity deficits and is also being invested in the progression of the development of alternative patient care pathways. These include "hear and treat" and "see and treat" services that are designed to manage low-acuity calls in an integrated manner and often mean that an emergency department attendance can be avoided for these patients.

It is important to acknowledge the work that has been done. We have had 80 new paramedics trained this year and there are more being trained up. We often hear about a lack of different definitions, especially in the context of the Department of Health, whether it is psychologists or psychiatrists or whatever else, but the way to address the issue is to start at third level. I know it takes a few years for the students to come through as trained paramedics but it will be really welcome when they do. I will pass on the Deputy's questions to the Minister.

See this speech in context