Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith has highlighted the need for additional resources for the National Ambulance Service in the North East region and has called on the Minister for Health to ensure that more staff and vehicles are allocated to the Cavan-Monaghan area.
Deputy Brendan Smith was responding to a reply from the HSE which promises “additional paramedic posts” and “two community paramedics based in Clones”.
“Over the past number of years there have been serious problems with ambulance response times across Cavan and Monaghan. A number of high profile cases, whereby people have been left waiting over an hour for an ambulance, have been covered in the national media, but despite this, nothing has changed”, explained Deputy Brendan Smith.
“The current situation is simply not acceptable; lives are being put at risk. We need more ambulances and more paramedics on the ground. While I welcome the commitment in the NAS service plan for two community paramedics based in Clones, I am concerned about the vague nature of the other provisions.
“The HSE reply refers to deploying “resources in a dynamic manner”. While this might sound impressive, the reality on the ground is very different. Response times are completely unacceptable, and given the large geographic area that the service has to cover, additional resources are the only way in which it can be improved.
“I will be continuing to raise this issue with Minister Harris to ensure a safe and reliable service for people living in this area”, concluded Deputy Brendan Smith.