Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Members know, we cannot underestimate the important role the ambulance service plays, particularly in counties Monaghan, Cavan and many other rural counties. Unfortunately, we have already had serious issues with ambulance response times in County Monaghan. In some instances it has taken 70 minutes for the ambulance to reach the patient concerned. The current dispute in the ambulance service is of particular concern to the people of Monaghan, Cavan and other rural areas. As the Leader will agree, ambulance workers play a vital role in the provision of health services and those of us in rural areas depend very heavily on those services. It could be said that people's lives are being put at risk because of this dispute. I urge the Minister and the HSE to engage as a matter of urgency with the ambulance workers concerned to try to find a resolution to this dispute so that the lives of people in counties Cavan and Monaghan and elsewhere are not put at risk by this dispute.