Ambulance Service
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-21
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Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (FG), Dún Laoghaire

It is important to acknowledge that there has been 30% growth in the staff of the National Ambulance Service, which is a larger proportional increase than the health service received overall. We have invested an additional €75 million in the service since 2022 and staff members have increased by 761 since 2022. The total workforce is now 2,500.
Further investment planned for 2026 will deliver 21 extra crewed ambulances at peak demand. I understand that 134 of 168 posts have been recruited, so recruitment is progressing reasonably well so far this year.
My overriding priority, of course, like the Deputy's, is the safety of patients and the continuity of the emergency services. It is important to discuss the reforms that have been suggested and agreed in the industrial relations architecture, and I can do that. However, we cannot just increase capacity anywhere without introducing reform as well.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-21