Dáil debates

Wednesday, 8 November 2023

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Ambulance Service

9:10 am

Photo of Christopher O'SullivanChristopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue matter on the ambulance service in the west Cork area. The service is stretched and we urgently need extra ambulances to serve the people of the region. It is important that I explain the geography of west Cork. It is a huge area, bigger than most counties. For example, from the edge of Cork city to the Dursey Sound takes well over three hours to drive, and that is at a good speed. Travelling from somewhere like Clonakilty in the southern part of Cork to Macroom in the north takes well over an hour. It is a vast area. There are not enough ambulances to serve the area and provide safe outcomes.

There are five ambulance bases, in Clonakilty, Castletownbere, Bantry, Skibbereen and Macroom. Even at that, the service is stretched to its limit. The waiting times for ambulances are far too long. To compound that, because the National Ambulance Service, NAS, provides the service, these ambulances cover far more than the geographic region I have explained. Ambulances often serve Cork city and get stuck there, which means there is extra pressure on the west Cork area. Ambulances often serve Kerry. I have nothing against people in Kerry being able to avail of ambulance services, but that puts a serious strain on the service in west Cork.

I was contacted recently by a lady who called an ambulance for her daughter, which took three and a half hours to arrive. The House will have to bear with me in respect of the geography involved. The ambulance went from Cork city all the way west to Castletownbere, on the far west of the county, and then back to Skibbereen, for whatever reason. I am sure the ambulance service knew exactly what it was doing and had to travel that route for a reason, but that meant the woman's daughter was waiting for three and half hours for an ambulance, which is far too long. This is going to put lives at risk.

As with many parts of Ireland, there are islands off the coast of Cork. An islander rang an ambulance but the wait time was so long that the lady had to put her parent into the car, take the ferry and bring them to the hospital. It is not good enough. We need to increase the number of ambulances serving west Cork and the number of personnel. From a visit by the Minister of Health to west Cork this summer, my understanding is that an extra full-time ambulance with eight personnel was to be provided in Bantry to take the pressure off. That would be an amazing start, but we need to know when that will happen and when the personnel will be in place. Furthermore, when will there will there be more ambulances in west Cork? We need them desperately.

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