Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Darragh O'Brien raised the question of the Dublin fire brigade and ambulance service. When the Government came to office in 2011, no targets were set for the ambulance service. The Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, has raised the bar annually in respect of response times, and for 2014 a new target has been set for 80% of life-threatening calls to be responded to in under 19 minutes.

In 2013, the target was 68% to 70%.

Emergency ambulance services in Dublin city and county are provided by Dublin Fire Brigade by arrangement between Dublin City Council and the Health Service Executive. The National Ambulance Service is working to modernise and reconfigure its services to ensure emergency pre-hospital care is delivered in an appropriate and timely manner. In particular, a single national control system to improve the control and dispatch performance of ambulances, for which members of the House have been calling over the past number of years, is being developed and will be introduced in 2015.

In light of the new control and dispatch system, the HSE's chief operating officer and the Dublin city manager commissioned a joint review of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. The focus of the review is to identify a model of service provision that ensures optimal provision of emergency ambulance services in Dublin. The review was expected to be completed in early summer. However, the timescale has now been revised to allow for the results of the national ambulance capacity review to inform the recommendations of the Dublin Fire Brigade review. The purpose of the capacity review, which is now under way and is expected to be completed by the end of this year, is to determine the level of use of resourcing required in terms of staff, vehicles, skills and distribution, for a safe and effective ambulance service now and into the future.

I can assure members that work in this regard is ongoing. In regard to the response of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, our response is that we want the best possible ambulance service for the people of Dublin and countrywide.

Senator Bacik and others spoke about the Presidential visit. I am sure the event last night was wonderful and that the remainder of the visit will be well received by all. The President, in terms of his speech last night, was a credit to us.