Youghal ambulance base
Deputy O'Connor calls for support for a new ambulance training college and a properly staffed full-time ambulance base in Youghal. The Tánaiste says the service is vital and will raise the proposal with the Minister.
I will raise an issue of the utmost importance in Youghal, County Cork. Under the HSE capital plan, we were promised that there would be an exploratory look into Youghal in respect of a new ambulance training college by the National Ambulance Service. We need this in our community for the economic investment, the jobs coming from the State and because of how much work was put into this under the previous Government. I am asking the Tánaiste for his support in respect of that. What we also need in Youghal is a better and faster ambulance service and a full-time base that is funded and staffed, which is under that same capital plan. There have been some deeply sensitive cases in Youghal recently where people have been waiting too long for ambulances with tragic consequences. Will the Tánaiste speak to the Minister for Health to see if we can get this moved on as quickly as possible? I have done my utmost on behalf of the people in east Cork and Youghal to see that this issue gets the attention that it needs and deserves.
Comment on this
I certainly will. It is a very important issue. The National Ambulance Service plays a literally life-saving role right across our communities. I am proud of the work that we have done together in Government where we increased overall funding for the National Ambulance Service by 41% between 2022 and 2025. We increased staff, with 588 more staff to a total number of 2,655, and we invested €126 million in the ambulance fleet in those years as well. I will raise the ambulance service in Youghal and the commitment to the new ambulance training college there with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and ask that she come back to the Deputy directly.