Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Aontaím leis an méid atá ráite ag mo chomhghleacaithe maidir leis an Riar Gnó. Sílim go bhfuil sé náireach an chaoi a bhfuil muid ag déileáil leis. I second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by my colleague, Senator Cullinane.

I rise today to raise the serious issue of ambulance services, the current shortage of paramedic staff and the effect this is having on patient safety. It was reported recently that a Garda sergeant in Meath had to drive an ambulance taking an injured child to hospital following an accident in which a car containing three children and a woman veered off the road; that an injured footballer in Carlow had to wait an inordinate amount of time for an ambulance; that a patient in the north-east was brought to hospital by van; in another incident, that a person had to be brought to hospital in a Garda van; that a Garda in Donegal had to drive an ambulance following an incident involving a mother and child; and that there have been many breakdowns of ambulances in Clare and Tipperary.

There are also concerns in regard to the call-out times for ambulance services and centralisation of these services. We have not had a debate on this issue for a long time now. It is a serious issue, particularly affecting rural areas. The two ambulances in Carraroe, County Galway, often remain idle outside the ambulance station because there are no staff to man them. There are serious difficulties and shortcomings in this area. Mr. Michael Dixon, chairman of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association, has said that incidents such as I mentioned are becoming too common. I call on the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to the House to discuss the management of the ambulance service, including whether the fleet and staff available are sufficient to meet the needs of the country in a way that ensures people can access the service quickly, thus preventing situations in which other members of communities have to drive ambulances or take people to hospital in other vehicles during times of emergency.