I raise the issue of ambulance cover in rural areas, particularly in County Leitrim. I have raised this issue on several occasions previously. In emergency cases, it always take more than an hour before an ambulance reaches the person who is in need. This week, a local general practitioner in Ballinamore, Dr. Bourke, pointed out this problem had affected two of his patients in the past couple of months. In one case, the ambulance arrived five hours after he made the telephone call. Only last week, he phoned an ambulance to come to the house of an elderly lady aged in her 90s and it was six hours before she arrived in hospital. This is disgraceful. Resources must be provided for additional ambulances and staff to ensure that those living in rural areas receive the service they deserve.

Clearly, it should not take five or six hours for an ambulance to reach a patient in any part of the country.

It has happened.

It is not acceptable. If Deputy Martin Kenny sends me details of individual cases, I will try and obtain answers on what went wrong and, more important, on what plans are in place to improve the service in future.