Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

We are treading a precarious line when it comes to our National Ambulance Service and its duty of care. I was recently contacted by the parent of a 21-month-old boy who had a seizure out of nowhere. This young child was unconscious for several minutes, but it took 66 minutes for an ambulance to reach him. Time and again we have instances like this where people are experiencing unimaginable distress, watching loved ones suffer while they wait for help. Lives are being endangered, which is simply unacceptable. I have been contacted by paramedics who are very concerned about changes being made in County Clare, where there will be no ambulance cover in certain areas on certain days. The HSE has said these are non-funded shifts. These models are not good enough, particularly in Clare where some people live almost an hour and a half away from the nearest hospital emergency department. This is because we do not have our own emergency Department in the county. Will the Government fully fund ambulance shifts in Clare as a matter of urgency?

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