Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 8 Oct 1992

Vol. 423 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - County Tipperary Ambulance Service.

Mr. Ferris

I wish to thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this important subject. I also thank the Minister for Health for attending to hear me.

On 5 May this year I raised with the Minister for Health in the House the completely unsatisfactory state of affairs in relation to the ambulance service provided for Tipperary town and district. The Minister, I believe, answered my questions that day in good faith but he was unable to be of much assistance to me because the South Eastern Health Board had made no submission to the National Ambulance Review Group. In addition, the health board did not, apparently, have sufficient data to supply to the Minister which would enable an assessment to be made of the needs of the area.

I understand that to this day the Minister has not been supplied with the information he promised me in May. For want of that information, it has not been possible to achieve success in making the necessary and vital case to the health board or to the National Ambulance Review Group. I have been accused in my own area — for political reasons, of course — of failing in my duty because I did not have that information. Although the health board and the review group have received deputations from Tipperary Urban District Council on the subject, no progress has been made.

I am aware of hundreds of complaints about the quality of the ambulance service, which has deteriorated rapidly since St. Vincent's District Hospital was closed by the Fianna Fáil Government in 1987. I am absolutely certain that if the Minister had all the facts at his disposal he could not fail to be well disposed towards a substantial upgrading of the ambulance service.

Therefore, I take this opportunity to urge the Minister to press the South Eastern Health Board for a full submission of all the relevant data on the subject. All I ask the Minister to do tonight is to agree with me that the needs of Tipperary town, and west Tipperary in particular, in relation to this crucial service will be considered with an open mind when the information comes to hand.

I must stress that the partial picture of the current service being provided by the health board is not enough. Since May the health board have been asked, in many communications from me, and, I am sure, from the Minister, to assemble data on a week to week basis on the number of ambulance calls and on the average length of response to the calls, including a detailed account of any and all delays. I am satisfied from my knowledge that when the information is gathered and made available to the Minister — and to me — he will recognise clearly that there is a very strong case being made.

The Minister is a man who is well prepared to listen to reason and when he is in possession of the facts I have requested I believe he will be prepared to invite fresh submissions on this subject matter. I ask the Minister to ensure that when the information is available to me I will be permitted, on behalf of my electorate, to make the submission directly to the National Ambulance Review Group. That group have met the urban council and they did not have the information. I request to have an opportunity to discuss the matter with the Minister before decisions are arrived at following the recommendations of the review group.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter. I regret I have had to repeat my request on the floor of the House on such an important matter. On this occasion I hope the Minister will not spare the health board but will make them answer the relevant questions.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

I wish to thank Deputy Ferris for raising this matter on the adjournment today and I welcome this opportunity to explain the current position in relation to the provision of ambulance services in Tipperary town and the west Tipperary area.

As the Deputy will be aware, arrangements for the provision of ambulance services in the South-Eastern Health Board region are a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. In 1987 a decision was taken by the board to close St. Vincent's District Hospital, Tipperary town and, in conjunction, to close the ambulance station attached thereto. Ambulance services are now provided by ambulances based at Cashel and Clonmel.

In September 1991 my Department, together with the health boards, undertook a major review of ambulance services nationally. As part of this process, advertisements were placed in the national press inviting submissions from interested parties. I understand that the South-Eastern Health Board have not formally made a submission to the Ambulance Review Group.

A written submission, dated 25 May 1992, was received from Tipperary Urban District Council in relation to the ambulance service in the west Tipperary area. The council requested that they be given an opportunity to make an oral presentation on this matter and they were invited to meet the steering group of the Ambulance Review Body on 31 August 1992. Four members of the urban district council and the town clerk attended this meeting and they briefed the steering group on their concerns regarding the local ambulance service. The members of the steering group also sought additional information and clarification where required and they will now give consideration to these issues during the course of their deliberations.

I am aware that the Deputy, in one of his parliamentary questions on 5 May 1992, sought information on the number of ambulance calls per week in the west Tipperary area between January 1987 and December 1991. At the time, I replied that, as this was a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board and as the detailed information was not readily available, I would communicate again with the Deputy as soon as the information was provided by the board. I very much regret to inform Deputy Ferris that, while some limited information has been provided by the board, I am still awaiting the detailed information from the board, despite numerous requests from my Department. I am very unhappy about this situation.

I wish to apologise to the Deputy for the undue delay and I wish to assure him that I have instructed my officials to pursue this matter vigorously and immediately with the board. I will keep in contact with the Deputy on this matter. When the figures become available I shall arrange for the Deputy to make his submission to the National Ambulance Review Group.

Mr. Ferris

Thank you, Minister.