Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for making time available. It is important that we debate this issue and that we refer to the recommendations of the HIQA report and act on them. The recommendation set out that the National Ambulance Service and the Dublin Fire Brigade must both address the operational inefficiencies identified and publish a joint action plan outlining proposed steps to improve individual and collective performance in call handling, address verification, dispatch, ambulance deployment, mobilisation, navigation and the co-ordination of calls between services. Another recommendation was that "[a]s a matter of urgency, both the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade must put the necessary corporate and clinical governance arrangements in place to provide a fully integrated ambulance service in the greater Dublin area. This should include a binding service level agreement, which includes formal quality and performance assurance reporting mechanisms". It was also recommended that "[t]he Health Service Executive and National Ambulance Service must immediately involve Dublin Fire Brigade in the National Ambulance Service Control Centre Reconfiguration Project to ensure a seamless and safe transition of services in Dublin". This is about providing a service that is not only efficient but also safe. The changes that have occurred are about getting everyone to work together.

Everyone here will join me in paying tribute to those who work in the ambulance service, both from the fire brigade side and in the National Ambulance Service. They are all committed to providing a comprehensive service. This co-ordination is necessary to make sure that we have the efficiencies that are required. The HIQA report clearly identifies that there were two different systems in place. The computer system was not the same and the whole process was different for both organisations. That is why this reconfiguration must occur. There has been a great deal of change over the past three to four years in the ambulance service across the country. There has been a great deal of improvement, which must continue. It now transpires that 70% of ambulances were released and able to respond to other calls within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital and 94% within 60 minutes. It just shows that change has occurred and efficiencies are in place. This reorganisation is very necessary, but there must be full consultation and co-operation by all sides and every process that is required to get that co-operation must be put in place.