Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)

I raise the important issue of ambulance response times in County Mayo, particularly the Erris region of Belmullet. I have three call logs of incidents from the past number of months. In some instances, the ambulance response times to patients has been two hours. Two hours, two hours and 96 minutes are just three examples from the past number of months. I compliment the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, for her work improving the effectiveness of her office and improving the health outcomes and conditions, but where ambulance response times are concerned, the people of Belmullet and Erris waiting two hours is unacceptable. It is linked to congestion in Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar. We need to ensure that these situations never happen. People in the most vulnerable and needy situation of their lives are sometimes left waiting up to two hours in an area that is often neglected and forgotten about and is sparsely populated and rural. We need to do better for the people of Erris and Belmullet. These response times are not good enough. We need to ensure that, regardless of circumstance, situations or events, there is a plan B and a plan C so that, if ambulances are gone to Castlebar or held up in other locations, we still have adequate response times in emergencies. We want security and safety and reassurances for the people of Erris that we have adequate response times in their hour of need. It is important.

On a separate note, the Ballina Town FC under-12s team are in the all-Ireland final. It is my home club and they are playing Verona FC at 11 a.m. on Sunday. I wish the management team of Colin Syron and Tony Molloy and the team the best of luck.