551. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the recent change that means that newly qualified paramedics are no longer being offered permanent positions within the National Ambulance Service (details supplied); whether the Department of Health was made aware of this change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17992/26]
Topics / Ambulance Service
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsAmbulance Service
860 questions from 114 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 20 October 2026.
860
questions
852 written, 8 oral
114
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 9 |
| February 2025 | 52 |
| March 2025 | 34 |
| April 2025 | 40 |
| May 2025 | 28 |
| June 2025 | 19 |
| July 2025 | 18 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 29 |
| October 2025 | 20 |
| November 2025 | 21 |
| December 2025 | 7 |
| January 2026 | 24 |
| February 2026 | 100 |
| March 2026 | 112 |
| April 2026 | 72 |
| May 2026 | 177 |
| June 2026 | 34 |
| July 2026 | 16 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 34 |
| October 2026 | 14 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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267
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49
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31
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25
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23
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21
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19
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18
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
552. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the problems encountered by recently qualified paramedics in gaining employment with the National Ambulance Service; if she believes that the paramedic qualification should effectively remain tied to a single employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17993/26]
553. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Health if she will engage with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) following reports that approximately 80 newly qualified paramedics received an email from the NAS instructing them to sign a 16-week contract extension in order to remain in employment long enough to apply for a permanent position; the reason no prior engagement or warning was provided to the…
586. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason 80 newly qualified paramedics who have completed a three year BSC in Paramedic Studies and all necessary examinations, placements and assessments will not move to permanent roles in the National Ambulance Service in what is a break from established practice. [18121/26]
271. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the circumstances under which an ambulance can be provided to transport a vulnerable patient to hospital appointments; if she believes that these circumstances apply to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17390/26]
277. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health whether she is satisfied that the recent decision not to provide an automatic transition to permanent contracts for newly qualified paramedics will not negatively impact frontline ambulance capacity and response times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17405/26]
278. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the current number of approved whole time equivalent paramedic posts within the National Ambulance Service; the number filled; the number vacant; and the projected staffing requirement for 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17406/26]
279. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE has advised her of any risks to service delivery arising from potential attrition of newly qualified paramedics as a result of uncertainty regarding permanent employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17407/26]
280. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health the average ambulance response times in each HSE region in 2024 and to date in 2026; whether workforce shortages have been identified as a contributing factor in any region, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17408/26]
281. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Health whether she will direct the HSE and the National Ambulance Service to provide a clear and time bound pathway to permanent employment for paramedic trainees in order to protect frontline capacity and patient safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17409/26]
294. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the reason for recent changes this month for newly qualified paramedics now having to apply for permanent positions in the HSE National Ambulance Service, when previously the long established practice was they were offered permanent positions with the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17461/26]
306. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health whether a decision has been taken to discontinue the long-standing practice whereby newly qualified paramedics employed by the National Ambulance Service on specified purpose contracts automatically transitioned to permanent contracts upon completion of training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17698/26]
307. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of newly qualified paramedics in 2026 have been informed that they must now apply through an internal recruitment competition in order to secure permanent positions within the NAS, by region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17701/26]
308. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health the current number of vacant paramedic posts within the NAS, including a breakdown by county; and how requiring newly qualified paramedics to compete for permanent posts aligns with workforce planning needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17702/26]
309. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Health whether consultation took place with staff representatives or unions prior to any change in the pathway from SPC to permanent posts within the NAS; if she will provide details of such consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17703/26]
310. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Health the reason for the recent change in the long-established practice whereby newly qualified paramedics in the National Ambulance Service were offered permanent contracts upon completion of their training; the rationale for requiring the current cohort of graduating paramedics to instead apply for permanent positions through an internal recruitment competition; the …
311. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the National Ambulance Service (NAS) operational area, management division and reporting unit that covers the towns and villages and rural hinterland of Midleton, Youghal, Carrigtwohill, Cobh, Aghada, Castlemartyr, Killeagh, Cloyne, Mitchelstown and Fermoy; and to clarify whether NAS reporting aligns with the new HSE Health Regions and Integrated Healthcare Areas.…
312. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of emergency incidents within the HSE South West’s Cork North and East Integrated Healthcare Area, in each of the years 2024 and 2025 where National Ambulance Service response times exceeded times (details supplied), by call priority and year, in tabular form. [17726/26]
313. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of frontline emergency ambulances, rapid response vehicles and other National Ambulance Services resources routinely rostered to serve the HSE South West’s Cork North and East Integrated Healthcare Area (IHA), to cover Youghal to Midleton specifically; and the number of shifts or hours where cover was reduced or unavailable due to staffing shortages or …
314. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the whole-time equivalent (WTE) staffing complement of the National Ambulance Service in the operational area identified as serving the east Cork towns of Midleton and Youghal listed, including, sanctioned posts, filled posts, vacant posts, staff on long-term leave, broken down by grade (paramedic, advanced paramedic, EMT, control staff and support grades) for eac…
315. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the whole-time equivalent (WTE) staffing complement of the National Ambulance Service serving the HSE South West’s Cork North and East Integrated Healthcare Area (IHA), including, sanctioned posts, filled posts, vacant posts, staff on long-term leave , broken down by grade (paramedic, advanced paramedic, EMT, control staff and support grades) for each of the years…
318. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the changes which have been made to the long-established process of automatic progression for paramedic graduates into full time employment with the National Ambulance Service; the rationale for any changes to this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17743/26]
822. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the additional staffing, vehicles and funding allocated to National Ambulance Services in 2025 and 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16404/26]
833. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 145 of 20 November 2025, if she will provide an update on the project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16483/26]
843. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Health the number of rapid response vehicles in each county in each of the years 2021 to 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16521/26]