Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

As someone who many would say has a big heart, I also have a tricky heart and as I have had to use the ambulance service on a number of occasions I know that lying in bed waiting for an ambulance is not something I relish. As stated yesterday in this House were I living in rural Ireland I would probably not be alive today. I would welcome a debate on ambulance services. I am particularly concerned not about misuse of ambulances by people but misuse of them by the health service in terms of the number of patients on ambulance trolleys in our accident and emergency departments, which leads to the immobilisation and unavailability of the ambulance service.