Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

2401. To ask the Minister for Health to review and increase the current resources being allocated to the National Ambulance Service given issues that have been raised (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45839/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to express my sympathy to the individual in relation to this incident. I note that this was a Dublin Fire Brigade call, and therefore falls under their operational remit. I understand that a report on this incident is being prepared by DFB at present.

Regarding emergency response times, as I am sure you are aware, there have been significant increases in urgent and emergency calls in recent years.  In the last five years the number of such calls have risen by nearly a quarter with nearly 430,000 urgent and emergency calls received last year.  Unfortunately, at particularly busy periods, some patients have been experiencing a longer wait for an ambulance given the need to respond to higher acuity calls.

The Government is providing additional investment to the National Ambulance Service to help build capacity and address the increase in patient demand.  Investment in the NAS has seen an increase in staff of over a quarter since the beginning of 2020. The NAS allocation in this year's HSE Service Plan of €285 million includes €8 million for new service developments (with a full year costing of €16 million in 2026). This will provide up to 180 additional staff, most of which are front-line posts.

As well capacity building in front-line emergency services, this investment is also further expanding NAS alternative care pathways which are designed to avoid ambulance conveyance to hospital EDs where there is no clinical need. This also frees up emergency capacity for more appropriate work.  This year's budget is also focused on the development of NAS specialist services, including aeromedical and critical care retrieval services.