Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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166. To ask the Minister for Health the strategies in place to reduce response times for ambulances in the Dublin metropolitan area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52176/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) provides emergency ambulance services in Dublin City on behalf of Dublin City Council (DCC). The National Ambulance Service (NAS) provides emergency ambulance and intermediate care services nationally, including emergency ambulance responses on behalf of the DFB in Dublin as and when requested.

There is a high level of cooperation between Dublin Fire Brigade and the NAS on day-to-day operational matters, and efforts continue to build on this cooperation to strengthen further arrangements for ambulances services in Dublin.

In late 2022 an HSE/DCC Joint Ambulance Service Delivery Task & Finish Group was established to identify a more effective ambulance service delivery model for the citizens of Dublin. The Task and Finish Group made a number of recommendations to strengthen collaboration between the NAS and DFB to improve overall emergency ambulance service delivery in Dublin.

The Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to implement the recommendations of the HSE/DCC Joint Ambulance Service Delivery, Task and Finish Group and work towards this commitment is ongoing with a Joint NAS/DFB Emergency Ambulance Collaboration Group established in August 2024 to review current collaborative arrangements and to develop processes to implement the Task and Finish Group's approved recommendations.