Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week the director of the National Ambulance Service, NAS, felt compelled to outline some of the very serious challenges the service faces, including the fact it has an urgent need to recruit additional staff. Currently, recruitment efforts are being surpassed by service demands. We are told the scale of growth in demand for ambulance services is unprecedented and unexpected. Over recent days I have spoken to and received correspondence from paramedics in the midlands region and this reflects their experience. They tell me the service is now on its knees and that it is quite common that ambulance shifts are not covered due to a lack of staff. This is extremely concerning. The station in Tullamore has been closed for an entire day or night shift on a number of occasions recently. Previously this was unheard of. It is totally unacceptable. On top of all of this, despite the lack of cover in the midlands those available ambulances are regularly drawn into other areas. The Edenderry crews are regularly in Dublin, Kildare or the north east. The Birr ambulance crews spends most of its time in Tipperary or Limerick. The Portlaoise ambulances are frequently in Wicklow, Kildare or the south east. The Tullamore ambulance is then left to pick up the pieces in Laois, Westmeath, Birr and Edenderry. As one of the paramedics said to me, if a house was on fire in Portlaoise would we want the fire brigade to come from Dublin.

Despite the staffing crisis in the National Ambulance Service the Government has taken action that will, in all likelihood, significantly increase the pressure on it. I refer to the impact of extending nightclub opening hours. Allowing nightclubs open until 6 a.m., particularly in cities and major urban areas, is bound to have a knock-on effect on the already stretched ambulance services. It will certainly make it more likely that rural counties and rural ambulance-based services will be called into those areas and away from rural counties such as Offaly and Laois. Will the Minister consider pausing these measures to engage with the National Ambulance Service and health services and listen to what they have to say about the issue? They are important stakeholders. I want to be clear that while I fully support reform of our licensing laws for pubs and clubs, such reform should not bring about additional strain on vital national services such as the ambulance service.

It certainly should not make the working life of paramedics, such as those in Offaly and Laois, more difficult than it already is. Will the Minister outline the steps the Government is taking to increase recruitment and retention in the ambulance service? What actions will be taken to address the concern that ambulance shifts are not being covered in Laois and Offaly?

See this speech in context