2026-01-22

12. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the reason the rapid response vehicle at Roscommon ambulance base is no longer available on a 24-7 basis as promised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4433/26]

104. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health when the rapid response vehicle at Roscommon ambulance base in County Roscommon will be restored on a 24/7 basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4432/26]

A commitment was made in 2011 when the accident and emergency department in Roscommon town was closed that because of the much greater distance to the nearest such department, we would have 24-7 advanced paramedic cover from the rapid response vehicle. In the last number of months, the overtime that was being used, initially on a Thursday night and now on a Monday night, has been pulled so the rapid response vehicle is parked up for 12 hours. Why is that happening?

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 104 together. I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge how consistently she raises this. She had a Topical Issue on it last week and I acknowledge her complete commitment to this issue and to the people of Roscommon. As she will be aware, the National Ambulance Service serves County Roscommon from three 24-7 bases located in Roscommon, Boyle and Loughglynn. Emergency ambulances services at these bases are staffed by NAS paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians. In addition to these emergency ambulances, the NAS also operates rapid response vehicles from these bases. The RRV in Roscommon town is currently operated 24 hours six days per week and 12 hours on the seventh day, as the Deputy is aware. The HSE has informed me it has made numerous attempts to fill two advanced paramedic vacancies for that additional 12-hour shift - that dropped shift, as it were. In the meantime, the HSE has outlined, 24-7 emergency ambulance services are covered for the county and that the RRV dropped shift is covered by these emergency ambulance resources as well as by the RRVs located in neighbouring areas. In recent days, the HSE has advised that as a result of recent efforts, an advanced paramedic has been identified to fill one of the two vacancies in Roscommon as early as this month. Of course, I welcome this development. I have been assured by the HSE that efforts will continue in 2026 to fill the outstanding vacancy. The HSE has also informed me that a new specialist paramedic advanced training programme commenced in January 2026 and that graduates will be eligible for appointment as advanced paramedics on successful completion of the course. I hope that will increase our pipeline of qualified people to perform exceptionally important functions, such as filling this important shift in Roscommon.

I thank the Minister. The advanced paramedic roster, which includes four advanced paramedics, has been in difficultly for some time. I have been raising this issue for about a year and a half and I met the director of the National Ambulance Service last year on the matter. For the last year and a half or so, paramedics have been put on the advanced paramedic roster. The overtime was in place for that Monday night and it is no longer there, yet there are four people on the advanced paramedic roster. One of them is a paramedic, while the third is an advanced paramedic, which I welcome, but the issue is not that we cannot fill the AP roster such that we cannot have the RRV on the road 24-7. That has been an issue for about a year and a half and the RRV has been on the road. The service has no problem using a paramedic on the AP roster, which is entirely wrong but that is what it has been doing. I am certain it is about overtime being pulled. It is not for want of filling the post, given there are four people on the roster. It is the overtime being pulled that I am trying to get to the bottom of.

I would be very pleased to speak with the Deputy about that in more detail. I think there is still a vacancy, based on the information I have, and I am glad the second vacancy has been filled. I would be very happy to discuss this with the Deputy more directly, but I am advised RRVs across the country are routinely crewed by paramedics or advanced paramedics and that is in accordance with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council emergency dispatch crewing standards. Obviously, we want them to be advanced paramedics and that is why we have the additional course and why we are trying to recruit at that level. At the moment, it is consistent with the dispatch standards from the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.

That is a line the director has given to me as well. However, Roscommon, Nenagh and Ennis all lost their accident and emergency departments and were all given a commitment to a 24-7 rapid response. Nenagh and Ennis had an action card that was put out there by the National Ambulance Service to protect the rapid response vehicle. Nenagh and Ennis got it but Roscommon did not. I am confident that if that same protection for the rapid response vehicle was put in place in Roscommon, that role would be filled. What is happening at the minute and what I am hearing back is that advanced paramedics were sent, in one recent case, to check an alarm that was going off. The RRV is protected in Nenagh and Ennis and they do not have these issues and the AP is never replaced on their roster with a paramedic. I am just asking for the same action card and the same protection for what is an entire county, unlike Nenagh and Ennis. We have a very rural constituency. I am not shouting and roaring about this issue but I am genuinely concerned that we are without this. It has been in place since 2011 and has no doubt saved lives. I really believe we deserve that cover.

I do not disagree with the Deputy and I respect the manner in which she consistently raises this and the concerns she has as a result of this not being resolved. I will it discuss it with the NAS and the region more generally. I will try to follow up and get this resolved. The Deputy and I will be pleased when that is so, for the benefit of the people of Roscommon and their safety.