Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the urgent concerns about the state of the National Ambulance Service, particularly in County Laois. There are concerns about response times, patient safety and the well-being of front-line staff. Paramedics in Laois are doing heroic work in impossible conditions. Despite significant population growth in Laois, 8% since 2016 and a 25% rise in those aged over 65 years, the county still has only one ambulance station. By comparison, Offaly, which has a much smaller population, has three stations. The current dispatch protocol is to send the nearest available ambulance regardless of where it is based. This often leaves Laois uncovered for long periods, with ambulances responding from as far away as 100 km. This is not just inefficient; it is putting lives at risk.

Intermediate care vehicles should be in place for hospital transfers that are not emergencies. Currently, our emergency crews are tied up doing these runs meaning they are unavailable for critical calls. Paramedics are also being sent on non-emergency calls due to flaws in the AMPDS triage system, one which, in my opinion, prioritises box-ticking over real-world judgment. While the national emergency operations centre prides itself on mobilising within 90 seconds, that means little if the responding ambulance is located over an hour away. It is a system designed for stats rather than saving lives.

I know the real-world consequences of these failings. In December 2023 my father suffered a stroke. It took 45 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and that cost him his life. I carry that pain every day. I will not stand by and let another family go through that same heartbreak.

Paramedics are being burnt out and demoralised by a system that offers no continuity or predictability. They are being pulled from one region to another and are unable to serve the communities they are based in. They are often left without adequate rest or support. Today, we - the paramedics on the ground, the families left waiting in crisis and those of us raising the alarm – are telling the Minister for Health that we need: a second ambulance service in Laois; intermediate care vehicles based locally and a reform of the dispatch protocol that keeps resources in the region; an updated triage system that reflects clinical urgency not centre scripts and real investment in our paramedic teams who are stretched to their limits. This is a matter of life and death. The people of Laois deserve better.