Talks are taking place today to prevent further ambulance strikes. That alone shows how serious the crisis has become. Ambulance workers are taking industrial action because they are burnt out, overstretched and feel they are not being listened to.

A recent article in The Anglo-Celt highlighted the concerns of a whistleblower who works in the ambulance service locally. Rosters seen by the newspaper showed there were six shifts per week where no paramedics were rostered to work in Cavan town station. We also know crews are regularly being drafted in from Finglas, Dundalk and Swords to try to fill the gaps. If these crews were diverted elsewhere, the people across Cavan and Monaghan could be left waiting hours for a paramedic to arrive.

Paramedics say that morale is low, workloads are increasing and staff are exhausted. These are the people we depend on at the worst moments of our lives, yet the HSE is dragging its heels on updating staff salary scales to reflect increased workloads. There is a lack of forward planning and a resistance to recognising the importance of our paramedics. Why has the HSE not implemented the recommendations of the independent review on pay and conditions? Why did the Government revert Monaghan hospital to a day facility in 2009 despite every indication that the population in the region would only grow in the years that followed?

Just weeks ago, there was another case of a footballer suffering a serious injury during a match. An ambulance was called but no timeframe was given for its arrival despite being in the area between Cavan, Mullingar and Longford stations. As he lay on the sideline in agony, local people eventually had to lift him onto a stretcher and place him in the back of a van to get him to the hospital. That is like a scene from the 1970s. We are going backwards when it comes to this, and we need to address this issue.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion in this House, and everybody has different opinions, but sometimes people cross the line. I felt today there was a lot of aggression and personalised attacks which crossed the line. They should not be sniggered at or laughed at by the people tittering in the front seats.