Questions

1826. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the way in which the decision to withhold permanent contracts aligns with the acknowledged staffing shortages in the National Ambulance Service and the planned expansion of the frontline workforce in 2026; and if she will explain how this decision is compatible with the public interest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19140/26]

1827. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she has evaluated the likely impact of this decision on recruitment and retention within the National Ambulance Service, particularly given the demanding nature of the role and the reliance on trainees who work full time while completing an honours degree; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19141/26]

1828. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if she will instruct the HSE and NAS to reverse the decision to withhold permanent contracts from the 76 newly qualified paramedics and to reinstate the long standing practice for all current trainees, in order to uphold the principle of legitimate expectation and ensure workforce stability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19142/26]

1844. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department are taking to improve retention in the National Ambulance Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19256/26]

1876. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the shift in policy of the National Ambulance Service in relation to permanent contracts being granted to paramedics who complete a three year BSc course in Paramedic Studies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19378/26]

1911. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Health the measures her Department is taking to ensure that permanent posts are available for graduate paramedics within the National Ambulance Service, in view of the pressures on ambulance services across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19461/26]

1914. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the current number of emergency ambulances available to serve Carlow town and county; the measures being taken to address delays and increase ambulance capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19469/26]

1925. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health if she had any engagement with the National Ambulance Service recently following reports of changes to recruitment and the issuance of permanent contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19540/26]

1928. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Health to comment on the National Ambulance Service’s departure from its established practice of offering permanent contracts to paramedics upon completion of training; and the basis for issuing short-term specified purpose contract extensions to newly qualified paramedics while requiring participation in an internal recruitment competition for permanent posts. [1957…

1962. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health for an update on a matter regarding the National Ambulance Service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19722/26]

2016. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the recent changes to the practice of issuing permanent contracts to newly qualified paramedics in the National Ambulance Service; the reason for this change; when the change was brought to the attention of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19970/26]

2017. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the number of newly qualified paramedics that have recently completed training with the National Ambulance Service but have not been issued permanent contracts. [19971/26]

2018. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of training a paramedic within the National Ambulance Service. [19972/26]

2019. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the current staffing shortfall within the National Ambulance Service. [19973/26]

2021. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health to reconsider a change in policy for awarding permanent contracts in an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19978/26]

2022. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the reason newly qualified paramedics working full time as PHECC registered practitioners are required to reapply for their current roles; if she will confirm that no paramedic will face a period of unemployment as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19989/26]

2023. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health if newly qualified paramedics who are placed on a recruitment panel will continue to receive temporary contracts until a permanent post becomes available; the arrangements that are in place to avoid gaps in employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19990/26]

2024. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health if she will address concerns that newly qualified paramedics may be required to accept posts beyond the 45 kilometre public service guideline; the way the National Ambulance Service intends to ensure safe commuting arrangements for staff working long shifts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19991/26]

2025. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health if she will clarify the proposed changes to pay, allowances and subsistence for newly qualified paramedics; the way these changes align with recruitment and retention objectives within the National Ambulance Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19992/26]

2026. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health if she has assessed the impact of the new recruitment and contract arrangements on staff retention and ambulance cover, including the number of newly qualified paramedics who have resigned or indicated an intention to resign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19993/26]

2127. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has issued any written policy guidance or governance framework defining what constitutes an unacceptable response time for life-threatening emergency ambulance calls, including clinical status 1 purple or red calls; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20321/26]

2128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has formally approved or endorsed the current key performance indicator framework used by the National Ambulance Service in relation to emergency response times; the date on which that framework was last reviewed by her Department; and whether consideration has been given to introducing a maximum response time threshold for life-threatening…

2129. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of a defined maximum response time threshold for life-threatening emergency ambulance calls has been assessed by her Department as a governance or patient safety risk; and whether any such assessment has been recorded within the Department’s risk management framework. [20323/26]

2130. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has required the Health Service Executive to provide any analysis of emergency ambulance response times exceeding 60 minutes for clinical status 1 purple or red calls; whether such analysis has been reviewed at Departmental level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20324/26]

2131. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered whether delays exceeding 60 minutes in response to life-threatening emergency calls should automatically trigger review under the HSE Incident Management Framework; and if so, the outcome of that consideration. [20325/26]