Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I do not have the specific answer for him but I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to get him an answer on the question of an additional ambulance with eight staff located in Bantry. I thank him for acknowledging the success of the helicopter emergency service. He does recognise that this is not just about the number of ambulances providing a good emergency call-out service as the approach also involves considering how we can treat people before an ambulance arrives, particularly when such long distances must be covered.

With regard to some programmes, a large proportion of people, or even a majority, realise they do not need an ambulance and can be treated at home. The community first-responder programme has been important. There were 30 teams two years ago and there are now 39 across Cork. They provide services like cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation and in many cases help to sustain patients. Not all of the investment should go towards additional ambulance services. As far as possible, we want to make sure people survive their emergency event and get the best treatment as soon as possible through the correct care pathway. It would be crazy not to use remote services. If we can provide a service over a video or audio link that can keep a patient alive or give him or her a better outcome, we definitely should put resources into it.

The Deputy is aware that paramedics’ skills are now far beyond those that they would have had some years ago, when they were mostly driving and lifting people in and out of ambulances. Paramedics now have many qualifications to obtain and they can give considerable care in the ambulance or on site on arrival. I will come back to the Deputy on his specific question. I acknowledge that he needs an answer.

See this speech in context