Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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2. To ask the Minister for Health if he accepts the capacity review of the National Ambulance Service and its recommendations; if he will create a specific stand-alone yearly budget to implement it; when he will implement the recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14020/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Reilly for her question and I wish her well in her appointment as her party's spokesperson on health. I look forward to the debates that we will have in the Chamber. I hope that we will be able to build on yesterday's establishment of a cross-party committee to devise a singular vision for the health service and work together.

Last month, at my request the HSE published the National Ambulance Service capacity review with an action plan for implementation that incorporated the recommendations of the capacity review and the 2014 Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, report on the National Ambulance Service. The capacity review makes it clear that we will need a significant programme of investment in our ambulance services. In this context, a planned investment in a multi-annual programme involving manpower, vehicles and technology is required. Additional funding of €7.2 million has been provided for the National Ambulance Service in 2016. As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for a partnership Government commits to an additional annual investment in terms of ambulance personnel and vehicles.

It should be noted regarding the action plan that a number of the reviews' key recommendations are already being undertaken as part of a significant programme of reform and modernisation of the National Ambulance Service that has been under way for several years. The programme has achieved many of its key targets, including the establishment of the national emergency operations centre and the creation of an integrated deployment platform that allows our ambulance service to operate as a national fleet rather than as regional divisions, the continued delivery of improved technology to improve response times, and the expansion of the community first responder scheme.

There is much more to do and the capacity review is a good roadmap, as is the action plan. My Department continues to engage with the National Ambulance Service regarding the latter's requirements and performance and I will do all that I can to ensure that the action plan is implemented.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the three newly appointed Members opposite and congratulate them and wish them well in their new roles. My question was specific and referred to the creation of a stand-alone budget. In light of what was done to the mental health services budget, no one will dispute that a stand-alone budget is necessary to ensure that these measures are implemented.

The Minister and I may not agree on everything but we do agree there is a lot to be done with our ambulance services. Is there a plan and ring-fenced funding? Intending to do something is not the same as saying money has been put aside and that the Government fully intends to resource the service.

The Minister will be aware that the media are reporting that a woman who made a 999 call waited for 84 minutes for an ambulance to come to her in Cavan, which resulted in very serious outcomes. I am not for a moment making an assumption pending the investigation but I am suggesting 84 minutes is not acceptable. People cannot wait. They need to have confidence in the National Ambulance Service. Regrettably, they do not at present. We need to hear from the Minister that there is a specific, detailed plan and money to ensure that it can be implemented.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy makes a number of very fair points. She is correct that it is more than a question of generalities and is about what specifically we will do. I can tell the Deputy very clearly today that the programme for Government, which outlines my mandate and what I need to implement along with my colleagues in the Department of Health, commits the Government to increasing the number of staff working in the National Ambulance Service and the number of vehicles available to that service. I am happy to be judged on that in regard to the implementation of the programme for Government. Obviously, when the Deputy starts to see concrete details on the delivery in this regard, it will be in the run-up to the Estimates process and budget, at which time I will have to show the commitment we need to make regarding the National Ambulance Service. It will be a multi-annual process and it will take a number of years. The report is very clear about the challenges that face the service. The report is also very clear about the fact that even if we put all the resources together and could deal with all the recruitment issues, based on the difficulty at times in finding the appropriate staff, worldwide and not only in Ireland, there would still be a number of issues in rural areas in respect of which new solutions would have to be found.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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To be honest with the Minister, I was looking for something a little more specific than the answer he was prepared to give me. I understand a significant increase in the number of personnel will be involved and that the trade unions representing the workers in Dublin Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service have sought a meeting with the Minister. Will he accede to the request for a meeting and advise the House on the result?

No one has a lack of confidence in the personnel in the National Ambulance Service. Everybody knows they do a fantastic job but we will need to see specific targets and figures. Unless and until we see them, people will not be confident that the capacity review's recommendations will be implemented in any meaningful way.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Let me be very specific. I have four specific points to make. First, there is €7.2 million for the ambulance service this year, as I have outlined. It will enable the creation of new developments within the service.

Second, within a week of my appointment as Minister for Health, I went to the Cabinet and got this report published. It was long overdue and needed to be published.

Third, with regard to the request for a meeting, I would be delighted to have one. I have already had an initial engagement with SIPTU on this. However, I would be very happy to have a specific meeting. If the Deputy wants to contact my office, we can certainly arrange that. I will update the House on that.

Fourth, I do not want anybody to believe these are all vague aspirations. The action plan available on the HSE's website is very specific. For example, on foot of the Lightfoot review, the external capacity review of the ambulance service, 60 actions were identified. Of those actions, 28% are deemed complete, 45% are ongoing and 27% have yet to start. With regard to the HIQA action plan, there were 54 actions, 35% of which are complete, 52% of which are ongoing and 13% of which have yet to start. The document is very detailed in respect of the timeline for commencement and delivery. It is the document with the roadmap for a national ambulance service.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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It will cost money. We need to know.

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely, it will cost money. The Government is absolutely committed to continuing to increase investment in the National Ambulance Service. We began this process with the last budget under the last Government, and we will continue under this Government.