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

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. These are really important points. As the Deputy said, all of us have been working with our ambulance paramedics over the years and we see the value of their work. Tonight I want to compliment them for their outstanding work in the community and the work they do for all of us. That is the main thing.
There are three main points. First, full-time permanent contracts will be offered to all year 3 paramedic graduates in 2026. Agreement has now been reached on those posts and they will be assigned. Second, there is no recruitment embargo in the NAS. On the contrary, 263 additional posts and, as we said, €20 million in new funding have been approved this year, alongside continued and significant investment in the service. Third, graduates are not facing unemployment. They have been granted a 16-week extension to their existing contracts to ensure continuity while permanent assignments are finalised under the agreed process.
The main thing is that these graduates are valued. They are needed and they are part of a service that is expanding significantly to meet growing demand. Our responsibility is to ensure those posts are all allocated fairly, transparently and in a way that meets operational needs across all communities while assigning graduates as close as possible to their homes. I welcome the resolution that has been reached. I remain committed, as does the Minister for Health, to supporting these graduates and to continuing the expansion of the NAS so that patients across the country receive timely, high-quality emergency care.

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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