73. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to review the current situation within the National Ambulance Service where emergency response vehicles have been removed from off-duty paramedics as such vehicles are perceived to be a benefit-in-kind and the impact this decision will have on response times to an emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9144/25]

Sentiment score: -0.21

I ask the Minister for Health to review the current situation within the National Ambulance Service where emergency response vehicles have been removed from the off-duty paramedics. Such vehicles are now perceived to be a benefit-in-kind, which is a strange situation that will have a huge impact on response times. As they are bad enough at the moment, I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.

Sentiment score: -0.26

The National Ambulance Service is badly broken and the Government must intervene here to try to ameliorate this situation. It has been doing a wonderful job. The paramedics are not, as the Minister said, driving an ambulance or patient-carrying vehicle - we know that - but they are normally the first people to arrive to an accident or incident. In many cases now, when they are driving their cars, they have to pass the scene of the accident or emergency to pick up the ambulance and come back. That valuable time is lost. Often there are only minutes to spare - seconds, in some cases - to revive or stabilise a patient. This is a farcical situation. We know there are huge issues with ambulances and burnout of the staff but this is something that came in a few years ago in a blaze of glory. It has been successful. How come it was not benefit-in-kind until now? In my own area and areas I know where they have them at home, they are not a huge benefit but they are there and they do not have to go to the hospital or ambulance base to pick them up, which could be 20 miles away. It makes no sense whatsoever. Surely, it can be dealt with in some other way so they have the fastest response time. That is what they are meant to be; a lead response before the other ambulances arrive.

Sentiment score: 0.02

I would accept this if it was about some other group of employees but these are dedicated, vital, fast responders. I salute the first responder groups - there is one in my own community - that do excellent work here. They do the work of the HSE and in some cases, they are supported by these particular paramedics who have these cars. They train with them and support them every which way. It is a reassurance that they are in an area. They have the blue lights so they can travel quickly to an incident or accident. If they go in their own car, they have to observe the rules of the road and they do not have blue lights which results in delays. We are already crucified with delays and some people must wait three, four, five or six hours for ambulances, which come from Sligo to Clonmel and from Clonmel up to Roscommon. The whole thing is badly broken. This is the one area that was not broken; it was ag obair go hiontach, doing great work and working. Why change it? It was changed because Revenue may be an issue. Why do we not wait and see if it has an issue? We literally have taken these vital paramedics off the road. This is penny-pinching on a vital service. There are plenty of other areas to sort out the waste and issues in the HSE but not for these angels of mercy who can come so swiftly to an accident or incident.

Sentiment score: 0.18