Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The national recruitment campaign has not led to significant improvements in staffing levels in south Tipperary. I also compliment the very hard work and dedicated service all the ambulance services provide across the country. What is difficult is that there are no efforts to recruit locally. The Minister said there was a recruitment campaign but the 45 km rule means that paramedics will be assigned to a base within 45 km of their home unless a recruitment drive happens locally. That is the problem.

There are huge difficulties in south Tipperary with regard to the staffing levels of our paramedic service. There are currently eight staff vacancies in the south Tipperary paramedic service, which is an awful lot in that area. Two of them are temporary but the remaining six are long-term vacancies which have not been filled. The difficulty is that there is no effort to recruit locally. There are recruitment campaigns but they have not been effective. The south Tipperary ambulance service covers Tipperary town, Cashel, Clonmel and paramedic bases. Other areas in the south east and around the country have a full complement of staff because they benefit from national recruitment drives. However, an urgent recruitment drive is required in south Tipperary to ensure the area has services and to fill the urgent vacancies. The Minister mentioned social media. The recruitment drives have been have not been effective. We need an officer to visit schools, colleges, employment seminars and so on.

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