As the Taoiseach is aware, there is a huge crisis in rural Ireland with regard to ambulance services and long waiting times. Recently in Killeshandra Church of Ireland School a child fell ill. The local GP was called to attend to the child but he had to put the child in the back of his own car and drive to Cavan General Hospital because he was told that an ambulance would take 45 minutes. The nearest ambulance was in the Clones area of County Monaghan-----

How is that relevant-----

The same is happening all over the country-----

How is this relevant to the programme for Government?

It is relevant because the programme states that the Government will increase the level of services in rural areas, particularly blue light services. We have a crisis across rural Ireland because dynamic deployment, a management process that has been put in place, means that ambulances are travelling up and down the country rather than being stationed in their own areas. It is not new management that is needed to solve this crisis but more ambulances and staff. The programme for Government commits to doing something about this issue. When will the Government buy more ambulances and employ more staff to ensure that an adequate service is provided?

I do not have the details of the case to which Deputy Martin Kenny refers. When there is an issue with regard to an ambulance, a detailed response is always given in terms of ambulance availability on the day of the incident in question. We are building primary care centres throughout the country so that patients whose cases are not so serious can be dealt with at those centres without the need to go to hospital at all. I regret that a doctor had to put a child in the back of his or her car and bring the child to a primary care centre or to the local hospital. I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to respond to Deputy Martin Kenny directly.