Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to deal with the issue of the ambulance services. Much fine work is done by many who work in the system but talking on a local or even a State-wide basis, one will hear about the many deficiencies and issues that need to be looked at. It is an issue that I brought up with the HSE. On Friday, 10 November 2023, a 93-year-old woman waited from 5.20 p.m. until 9.05 p.m. for an ambulance to come and help her. Her son told me she fell in her home and was unable to move. She was in a huge level of pain. There were a number of conversations over and back, and I think one ambulance had been rerouted, but the fact is they did not get anybody to her house until 9.05 p.m. They had requested that she be moved but she was unable to move; such was the pain she was in. In fairness, when the paramedics arrived, they were absolutely brilliant and fabulous work was done. I have brought this up with the HSE as regards an investigation. However, it fits into the scenario, whether talking about County Louth, including Drogheda, Dundalk and everywhere in between, or right across this State, that there are huge issues putting a system in place to deliver ambulance services. Whatever issues there may be regarding hospital inadequacies, this is something that is not on in any way. Drastic action needs to be taken.

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