Ambulance Service
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-18
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Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (FF), Carlow-Kilkenny

I thank the Deputy for raising this very serious issue. I too have been speaking to a lot of ambulance paramedics. It is important to clarify for the record that there is no recruitment embargo in the National Ambulance Service, and there is absolutely no failure to offer permanent employment to paramedic graduates. Every paramedic who is graduating in 2026 will be offered a full-time, permanent contract with the National Ambulance Service. In fact, following constructive engagement between the HSE and representative unions last week, as the Deputy stated, agreement has now been reached on the arrangements for the transition of all of this year's graduates into permanent roles.
The HSE has confirmed that full-time, permanent contracts will be available for all graduates completing their training in 2026. These roles will be drawn from funded and approved vacancies, including posts arising from retirements and promotions, as well as new posts linked to service development under the national service plan. The HSE has confirmed that there are more than enough vacancies to accommodate all of this year's graduates, and there will be a permanent job for everyone. Under the revised arrangements, graduates will now be assigned to permanent posts as close as possible to their home address following the completion of the staff transfer process for existing NAS personnel. When speaking to ambulance paramedics, that is something that was constantly raised with me. Where locations are oversubscribed, assignments will be made based on original recruitment panel placement, ensuring a fair and transparent approach.
This reflects both operational requirements and existing agreed processes within the service.
Since 2022, the Government has invested an additional €75 million in the NAS, with staffing increasing by 761 posts in that time. In 2026 we will see further major investment in the NAS, with approval for the recruitment of an additional 263 whole-time equivalent posts and €20 million in new funding. This will help to improve ambulance response performance by delivering 21 extra crewed ambulances operating at peak demand, as well as four additional intermediate care vehicles, and will further develop NAS alternative care pathways, including community paramedic services. The NAS is also establishing a new helicopter emergency medical service in the west north-west and a new NAS tertiary education site in Cork to further support paramedic education and training. The investment in 2026 will also see significant increases in NAS capital funding, including €34 million for renewal and expansion of the NAS fleet of emergency ambulances and other response vehicles.
Graduates play a vital role in maintaining workforce capacity and safe service levels, and supporting new developments, particularly in the context of this sustained funding and expansion of services. As the NAS works to place all graduates in permanent positions, they have been given a 16-week extension to their current training contract to ensure continuity of service and employment for them. There will be no interruption in employment and no graduate left without a pathway to a permanent position. In summary, we are seeing a structured and agreed transition of graduates into permanent posts within an expanding national emergency service.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-18