John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept the Minister of State's assertion that there must be reforms and that, with radical improvements through the use of new technology and flexibilities, we must have a modern ambulance service that can be dispatched. I also second her sentiments regarding the professionalism, commitment and hard and vital work of ambulance crews. However, I have first-hand knowledge of the crews in Portlaoise being understaffed and overstretched. I understand them operating within a region or catchment area, but I cannot understand how Enniscorthy and Carrick-on-Suir fall into Portlaoise's area. It does not make sense, either in terms of safety or the useful deployment of resources and services.

In the case that I mentioned, a man collapsed - almost fatally - within a mile of the hospital on a Sunday morning but no ambulance was available. That makes no sense. There are issues with resourcing and staffing. While a central hub in Tallaght may work efficiently and effectively from an accounting point of view, we must consider whether it is effective from the point of view of patient safety and patient care, with particular regard to the status of Portlaoise hospital and the demands placed on it by the size of the population that it serves.