Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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6. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in the Health Service Executive West region since the introduction of standardised ambulance response times; the steps being taken to improve ambulance response times in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53981/13]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Fewer than one in two ambulances in the west are meeting the HIQA target at the scene of a life-threatening incident. The west has the only three HSE-identified ambulance black spots in the country. It seems no provision will be made in the HSE service plan to provide manpower to address the staff shortages at those locations in the coming year.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Response times vary significantly regionally, and reliance on response times alone to measure pre-hospital emergency services is of limited value. We are, therefore, moving to complement time-based indicators with clinical outcome indicators for better assessment of modern ambulance work.

As the Deputy knows, the west is geographically challenging, with 61,500 emergency and urgent responses in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon alone in 2012. This challenge is, however, being met through staff development, fleet and control investment and resource management. Steps to improve response times include faster mobilisation, improved dispatching, better use of community responders and the roll-out of on-duty rostering in 2014.

In addition, the intermediate care service, which provides inter-hospital and retrieval services, freeing up existing emergency resources for emergency calls, is being expanded. Eight new intermediate care ambulances and over 70 staff were provided in the west and north-west in 2013. The availability of the emergency aeromedical service also frees up ambulances, with an estimated land resource gain of 560 vehicle hours and 1,100 crew hours a year. A recent review of this shows it is having a very positive effect and should be continued.

In 2014, Castlebar ambulance control will move to the national control centre at Ballyshannon, so crews can be dispatched across the region. The national ambulance service will also deliver a more dynamic service where ambulances move to different locations during a shift, based on predictive analysis of the best location at any time. This will ensure better geographical cover, response times and patient outcomes. The national ambulance service also proposes to undertake a capacity review for current and future needs in each region, including the west. This will examine areas including staff numbers, skill mix, which is very important, and resource locations, and will inform the further development of pre-hospital care in the west and across the State for the benefit of communities and patients.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his response. The review is welcome. The problem is that this is kicking the can down the road. At present, in the west, 13 ambulance shifts a month are being taken off the road because there are not the staff to man those ambulances. We have the only three HSE-identified ambulance black spots in the west at Tuam, at Mulranny and at Loughglynn, County Roscommon. We need 30 staff to man those effectively. Can the Minister indicate that those resources will be made available in 2014?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The ongoing development of the national ambulance service is providing a robust platform to continue to improve the performance against response time standards. The reality is we are looking at a very new type of service. It is not just the ambulance arriving-----

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is not arriving.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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-----it is the ability of the paramedic or the first responder to arrive. In addition, the air ambulance service is a huge support for the on-ground services.

I do not have information on the figures to which the Deputy alludes.

We will investigate further and come back to him in response to the specific issue he raises about Tuam, Mulranny and the third place he mentioned.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Will the Minister look into one other matter for me? Within the past month, on one particular day, all of the Roscommon ambulances were parked outside Galway University Hospital, along with those that provide cover in Roscommon - the Ballinasloe, Castlebar and Loughrea ambulances. Every single one of them was parked outside Galway University Hospital on one day in the past month. In light of that, where stands the commitment given to the people of Roscommon at the time of the closure of the accident and emergency department that they would have adequate ambulance cover to replace that department?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I will have to check out why that would or could happen. In the past a similar situation arose in Dublin, with up to eight ambulances parked outside hospitals at a given moment with people being tended to by the paramedics and some hospital staff because there was no room in the emergency departments. Thankfully, that situation does not arise any more. I will find out why all the ambulances the Deputy mentioned could have been parked outside for a long time.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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I am concerned that the geographic area is left without cover.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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That would not be acceptable. We have to find out why, once the ambulances have arrived at a hospital, they are not released immediately to be available for any other emergencies that might arise. Ambulances should not be left parked outside hospitals for any length of time. That is not their purpose or function. We have the technology to forewarn and give all the clinical details over the radio before the ambulance ever hits the hospital in order that the staff at the hospital are aware of the clinical problems with which they will be presented and be in the best position to help the patient concerned.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The time has expired. We will move on to question No. 7.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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May I briefly-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Ó Caoláin should read the Standing Orders. I am applying the new Standing Orders for question time. Each Deputy has up to 30 seconds to introduce the question. The Minister has two minutes to respond. There is a minute for a supplementary question from the Deputy who has asked the question. The Minister replying has a minute to reply to that supplementary question. There is a further minute if the Deputy so wishes and the Minister has a minute. That is six minutes. That is the idea for trying to get through the questions. There are other people here waiting to ask questions. It is not my fault. The time is up.