Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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164. To ask the Minister for Health if he will urgently review the ambulance service in County Louth with a view to improving the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39916/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to the improvement of our ambulance services. A significant reform programme is underway to reconfigure the way pre-hospital care services are managed and delivered. To this end, in 2015 the National Ambulance Service received an increase of €5.4m in funding, to improve technology and clinical audit and address gaps in service. While I am not in a position at this stage to give any specific details in relation to any particular region, I can assure the Deputy that additional resources will be provided to the NAS in 2016, to drive further service improvement.

I should also mention that I am awaiting the submission of an Action Plan from the NAS which will outline targeted areas for improvement. The plan will take account of a number of reviews of our ambulance service and seek to ensure that the service is developed in a co-ordinated and structured way.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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165. To ask the Minister for Health the level of provision and availability of ambulance and paramedic services in County Louth for each of the past three months; if that provision was met; if not, the dates and reasons, if an on-call staff provision has been arranged for each such month, if other ambulances in the public or private sector were available if called upon in an emergency, when the full ambulance service provision was not available, for whatever reason; if he will urgently examine the provision of permanent ambulance provision in the north Louth area, based in Dundalk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39918/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.