Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

Let us consider the reason the EMTs have withdrawn from the provision of the board's on-call service. They are represented by SIPTU. The dispute centres around SIPTU's demands for the elimination of the on-call arrangement through the provision of additional duty crews. The board's emergency ambulance service, which is in place from 6 p.m. each evening until 8 a.m. the following morning, consists of normal duty attendances and on-call emergency rosters. The effect of the withdrawal of on-call emergency roster arrangements by EMTs is being met by arrangements with the Department of Defence to provide the necessary backup cover to duty crews each night for the duration of the industrial action