Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend the professional and compassionate manner of those in the ambulance service in particular in Dublin where I had a number of interactions with them over the past few years in regard to family members. They are absolutely brilliant. During Covid-19, the care, attention and compassion they showed in how they dealt with people is a testimony to the gift they have. What they want to do is save lives. However, there is frustration. There is stress and they are stressed themselves. They can see the solutions but they are not getting the answers. This Government and the last Government have failed them because the solution has been outlined quite clearly. There is a need to address the fact that ambulances are stuck at hospital accident and emergency departments where in many cases the turnaround is slow. Also, there are not enough vehicles and not enough recruitment. They cannot get to problems that arise. When an old woman falls on the street and cannot get up, and neighbours think she is having a heart attack or a stroke they are told to leave her, not to move her, then 40 or 50 later an ambulance comes. It would have been easier for me or some of the residents to put that woman on my back and walk to the hospital. I would have been there more quickly, but we are told to leave her. That is an old woman on the cold road in the middle of winter. The fire station is 300 yards away but has no ambulances because they are stuck in the hospital or because there are not enough of them nor enough crew. We have the figures about how bad it is becoming. We cannot continue in that vein because lives are being lost. Lives are being lost because we do not have enough ambulances or crews. Something has to change. The change has to be proper investment and a proper recruitment drive.

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