Adams Warns Over Failure To Properly Fund Ambulance Services

The Dáil has been warned of the consequences for patient safety if the government fail to properly resource the ambulance service.

Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams issued the warning during a debate of the ambulance service, saying: "There is a deep and widespread public concern at the crisis in the ambulance service.

"In 2008 there were 320 ambulances serving the state. Last year this dropped to 265. At night it drops to a mere 113. The health service has only half the paramedics per capita compared to the North and as a result last year only one in three patients with life-threatening conditions was responded to within the target time.

"Government cuts have led directly to this situation. The recent RTÉ Prime Time investigation, indicated that despite life-threatening absence of available ambulances, rapid response vehicles, costing taxpayers €100,000 each, are parked for weeks outside the homes of senior management.

"What’s more, the taxpayer was on the hook for the fuel used.

"It’s time that this Government took action to tackle this serious problem. It must lift the burden off the ambulance service by allocating more resources to it as a matter of urgency."

(MH)