Vol. 505 No. 2
120 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Southern Health Board is refusing to locate an emergency standby ambulance at St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Cork, on a seven day per week basis and plans to exclude Tuesday and Wednesday nights from the arrangement. [13368/99]
The provision of ambulance services in Cork is the statutory responsibility of the Southern Health Board which have primary responsibility for the standard of the service.
I have been advised by the board that it is at an advanced stage of negotiating a new extended roster for the greater Cork city area. The proposed extended emergency cover, consistent with the additional resources provided, will ensure that the overall emergency cover will best serve the needs of the greater Cork city area with emphasis on increasing the level of cover on the north side of the city and other peak demand periods which needed to be addressed.
