Claire Kerrane
Roscommon-Galway · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“For carers and the loved ones they care for, respite is really important. It should not be beyond us to ensure that respite is guaranteed and consistent rather than having a situation where service providers go year to year looking at lists of people in terms of who they can and cannot give respite to due to funding implications.”
“Approximately 160 of the 13,000 to 15,000 childminders in the State have signed up. There is clearly an issue. No matter how hard the consultation was in terms of its significance, it clearly has not worked. There is a major issue and there is a huge job of work to be done.”
“The Minister's amendment also speaks about parent's leave and benefit, maternity leave and the leave available specifically to two-parent families. There is an ongoing anomaly, which I have raised many times, for one-parent families. It would cost a small amount of money.”
“It is as though we are reading two different motions. Contrary to what both Ministers have said, the motion is not just about affordability and accessibility. In fact, in that first €10 a day childcare plan in 2024, I ensured it was not just about affordability and accessibility, as I have done with this motion.”
“There has not been one year where the Minister has not had to go out of her way to get the JLC to the table to actually deliver on pay. Most times, they end up in the Labour Court. I cannot fathom how that can be in any way called an effective approach to pay. There are educators who would earn more in a supermarket in many cases.”
“I met some who said to me that they find it difficult to do a four-year degree and come out to earn an amount of money per hour that they could earn in the local supermarket. That is no level of respect for these professionals, without whom we would have no childcare sector and would not have to worry about places or cost.”
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“I acknowledge also the national childcare scheme and the access and inclusion model. The Minister's amendment to this motion acknowledges a lot. However, we still have a situation today where parents are struggling to find childcare places and struggling to pay really high childcare fees. That is the reality they face. This motion focuses on one commitment in the programme for Government which is as follows: "we will undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity." My asks in this motion are reasonable. What will the consultation look like? What are the terms of reference for it?”
“I am sharing time with colleagues. I begin by commending the 43 organisations and trade unions, including Women's Aid, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, one-parent organisations SPARK and One Family, Fórsa, SIPTU, the INMO, the INTO and others, who have come together to form the Together for Public alliance. It is led by the National Women's Council of Ireland. I bring this motion forward with its support and the support of many colleagues on the Opposition benches. This motion identifies key issues in the early years sector and calls on the Minister and the Government to act on the commitments made in the programme for Government. In the Minister's contribution, she will point to all of the positives. I acknowledge the investment in the early years sector, the core funding and the lifeline that has been for some operators.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: recognises: — the challenges that exist in the Early Years Sector, including for parents trying to afford and access childcare places and for educators when it comes to pay and terms and conditions; — the thousands of children on waiting lists for childcare places; — the serious deficiencies in capacity in our Childcare Sector; — the high costs of childcare that continues to exist with some parents paying over €1,000 a month; and — the Early Years Educators who are underpaid and undervalued by successive Governments; commends, the forty-three organisations who have come together to form the Together for Public, an alliance for a Public System of Early Childhood Education and Care, including children's rights groups, academics, trade unions, anti-poverty groups, equality and human rights groups, led by the National Women's Council of Ireland; acknowledges: — the Programme for Government commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities; and — the inclusion in the Programme for Government to commit to "undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity"; calls on Government to: — publish the terms of reference for the consultation and detail how the consultation will take place with a timeframe; — engage with Together for Public, on the terms of reference for the consultation before commencing; and — detail a timeframe for the action plan.”
“There are so many issues. We need to review our care system independently. Finally, I want to acknowledge the many wonderful foster carers we have in our country. We need more of them. Their numbers are falling. This is also a difficult read for them as well.”
“Concerns have been raised repeatedly about the care system that we have in Ireland today. Grace was not listened to. Those who cared for her were not listened to but we have to listen now. I reiterate that the Children’s Residential and Aftercare Voluntary Association has pointed to an increase in unregistered and uninspected for-profit providers in our care system. It has said the lives, safety and mental health of the most vulnerable children in the State are at severe risk. It has called repeatedly for an independent review of Ireland’s care system and I ask that we do that. Last year, the Child Law Project told us the care system in Ireland is at breaking point. It has described judges in court as being in despair. It has also raised issues about the fact that 250 children have been left without a social worker.”
“What we do know is Grace was failed over and over, that the very few people who spoke up for her were ignored over and over and that throughout those 20 years, numerous people did not care about Grace. I commend the two whistleblowers who came forward and who cared enough to raise concerns about Grace and did so at huge cost to themselves. We have since heard from both of them. One said the report was a waste of time. Grace’s own legal team, which was acting on her behalf and was her voice, has said its submissions are not included in any way in the report. We have heard from the second whistleblower again this morning to say the same thing: his submissions to the commission were not included in the final report. These failures are not in the past. They are not something that just happened in the 1980s and 1990s.”
“However, Grace remained there for 20 years, despite the placement having been temporary. Why? She remained there despite allegations of abuse on at least two occasions that we know of. Why? She remained there despite the Brothers of Charity stopping children going into that house in 1991. Why? In 1996, a decision was made by the health board on foot of concerns of possible abuse but that decision was later overturned. Why? It was not until 2009 that Grace was removed from the home. Why? None of theses whys are known. This is a very lengthy report and it does not answer any of these questions. When the commission was announced by the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny he said it "will get the answers that the people need". That has not happened.”
“I want to acknowledge the way the Minister went about making the rearrangements for this debate this morning and I thank her. Grace was 10 years old when she entered the foster care placement that is at the heart of the commission report. It was due to be a temporary placement in 1989. We cannot remind ourselves enough that she was a 10-year-old girl, a child, and she was without a voice. The failure began before Grace even entered that house; I very much struggle to call it a home. She was placed there by the South Eastern Health Board. The house was never assessed and it was never formally recognised as a foster home. Why? Grace was not visited by a social worker for the first six years, those formative years of any child’s life. Why? It was not just Grace. There were 47 other children placed in that house.”
“We are hearing from parents now whose child has had a full-time SNA but will not have one from September. Why is this happening? I received figures last week showing that over 81,000 children are now on waiting lists for psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy under primary care. That is not to mention the over 14,000 waiting for an assessment of need or the thousands of children waiting under the CDNTs. We have thousands of children on waiting lists. We need to train more therapists and we need them in our schools yesterday. As I have said before, everything for these parents is a battle, whether it is about school, waiting lists or therapies. It should not be this way.”
“It is totally unacceptable that in our State in 2025, children have no guarantee of an appropriate class place to meet their needs. An appropriate class place for children with additional needs will ensure that they can engage and fully participate in the classroom the same as any other child, and an appropriate class place must also be in the child's community. Why would we be busing our most vulnerable children around, expecting them to travel long distances to go to school and receive an education? Every single year, earlier and earlier, we start to hear from parents who are frantically ringing around schools asking for a place for their child. Parents should never be put in this position. The motion brought forward by the Labour Party, which I welcome, also references the arbitrary cap on SNAs.”
“There are some really good examples. There is one in Donegal. There are after-school activities, a crèche, music and sports all under one roof. Things like that should be looked at.”
“In our own proposal on the €200 per month, we looked at using the national childcare scheme and expanding it to childminders. That would really assist in building capacity in the sector because for many parents, the choice is no longer there. If they want to get the subsidy and need help in affording childcare, they have to look to the formal setting whereas in rural areas in particular, a local childminder might actually suit people, especially those doing shift work. We should look to expand the NCS to childminders. It would give greater choice to parents and would improve and build capacity, which is really badly needed. I asked the Minister's predecessor about some really good ideas Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland had about using existing buildings as community hubs, which would include a childcare element.”
“We need to look at quick ways we can bring costs down and quick ways to grow the numbers of places available. Is it through the national childcare scheme that the Minister would look to reduce those costs, as she has done to date?”
“Does the Minister envisage investing more in the national childcare scheme to bring down the costs directly for parents? This is what Sinn Féin had proposed with our €10 per day plan, which is around €200 per month. This is using what is there with the current mechanism as the quickest way to bring down the costs of childcare. While the Government repeatedly tells us that the costs of childcare have halved there are families still paying well over €1,000 a month for childcare. Parents are really struggling to cover the costs. Accessibility was mentioned. Of course accessibility is just as important as affordability because it is fine if one can afford it, but one must be able to access it in the first place. Pobal has told us that 30,000 children are on waiting lists for childcare places, and many of these places just do not exist.”
“I wish to ask the Minister about the cost of childcare, which remains very high for a lot of parents and families. There is a commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the cost of childcare. How does the Minister intend to go about this and does she have a timeframe in mind for reducing the costs for families?”
“It took 15 months to negotiate 65 cent, so I have concerns about the mechanism. On the core funding which the Minister has referenced, there is a review promised in the programme for Government. Has the Minister any idea when that will come to pass?”
“The Minister will be aware SIPTU is raising concerns about the fact the talks have been ongoing for a number of months and it feels there is a gap between the providers and those representing the early years educators and managers in the childcare settings. It is really important. It is good we have had the opportunity here this evening to make that call and to ask for the joint labour committee to complete its work in order that the €45 million would be utilised because we need it at a time when early years educators are leaving the sector and we desperately need them. I have given this example on many occasions because I have little faith in the committee in terms of its establishment and relying on it for pay on an issue of such importance. We know the last pay increase was 65 cent.”
“I welcome the Minister's move in that regard and we should take the opportunity to call on them for the talks to conclude and for that full amount to be-----”
“This is an issue I have raised on a number of occasions with the Minister. I welcome the fact she has met and engaged with the JLC and that she has gone further than that in asking it to utilise the €45 million because it is key we improve pay for the early years educators. We know staff turnover in the early years sector is really high. I got a breakdown, county by county. The annual turnover in private providers is up on 54% in some counties. That is good early years educators leaving the sector. It means more waiting lists for children trying to get places. It means more rooms closed in childcare facilities at a time when there is so much demand. If we do not get pay right for early years educators, we will not have the necessary number of childcare facilities we desperately need.”
“I appreciate the steps the Minister has taken and the work that will be undertaken on the back of the report specific to this case, and rightly so, as that needs to be done, but I also want to impress on the Minister the need to look at the care system today. The Children's Residential and Aftercare Voluntary Association has repeatedly called for a review of Ireland's care system. It has raised repeatedly the increase in unregistered and uninspected for-profit providers in the system. The Child Law Project has raised issues relating to the care system and judges have, at various points in time, raised issues and voiced despair at the system. While it is important we see steps taken on the back of this report, I also ask the Minister to look at the care system today.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. There was something really stark in the response to the report's publication. Usually, we would be shocked by such failures and grave injustices but on the back of this report's publication, we saw widespread disbelief and disappointment concerning what the report was all about. It took a very long time to conclude the report - eight years - and it has cost millions in taxpayers' money, yet there is a feeling the report has not answered key questions. For us, the Minister and her Department, it is about care and protection. That brings us to the State care system that exists today and what we can take from all this to ensure that the system works as best it can for the children in it.”
“I ask the Minister to respond to the report of the Farrelly commission into what has usually been termed the Grace case. More importantly, I want to know what the Minister's next steps will be and what she plans to do in response. I appreciate that much of this is HSE-related and there are a lot of questions for the HSE to answer. We are reminded that when Grace was failed in the first instance, she was a child and the Minister has a role in that regard.”
“We should work together on this issue to ensure we never again see letters like this and that parents never have to receive letters like this again.”
“One parent told me: This is a horrifying situation to be in as a parent, I am not sure how well known this is, I only became aware today and I was sick in the stomach reading the letter and the report on the Ditch. I wonder could you ask the Minister for Health when will parents be fully informed as to whether the surgery on their child was or was not necessary based on the audit findings Parents very much need answers and it appears they were only informed about the audit in writing after an article appeared in The Ditch . That is no way to deal with any such audit being commenced. The calls in this motion are fair. I particularly point out the calls to hold people accountable and responsible for this. In many cases, we do not see accountability or people being held responsible. The Government should support the calls in the motion.”
“I will raise a number of points about all of this as a TD who has been contacted by a number of parents who have received letters informing them that the surgery that took place on their very young children may not actually have been necessary. I will refer first to the timeline. On Thursday, 13 March, The Ditch published an article providing details of what it said was the external report on hip surgeries on children. Six days later, on Wednesday, 19 March, letters were sent to parents - the letters I have are all dated 19 March - informing them of an audit that had commenced nine months previously. The parents who have been in touch with me knew nothing about this until they received the letter nine months after the audit commenced.”
“There has been a big issue for farmers and businesses, particularly farmers whose sheds had been damaged. In some cases, this was the second or third time damage had been done due to a storm but there was no support at all for them. I ask that there be a full review of this scheme, how it functioned after the storm, where it has and has not worked and the lessons we can learn from that.”
“There seems to be a variety of responses depending on which officer deals with a case. That has been a big part of the inadequacy and messiness of the scheme. Some people get an amount and are happy enough but others are really unhappy. Last week, I got a call from a lady who had been without power for 14 days. People ring me to tell me they got €150 after being without power for 15 days. They ask how that sounds. I try to advise them as best I can. While there has to be discretion in a scheme like the HAS, better guidelines are needed. There should be one set of guidelines for all staff members dealing with the scheme. Unfortunately, we have not seen that. There have been a variety of refusals. I mentioned a case of receipts being sought in February when receipts were not required for the HAS 1 form unless applicants had them.”
“He got a letter in the post yesterday. It was just a blank form with a Post-it note. There was no cover letter. He now has to go back to the hotel to ask for another receipt despite submitting one a month ago. I gave him the number for the public telephone line and he contacted it today. He was told that his application had been received and was on the system but that it cannot be processed. I have no idea what that means. He said the person on the phone was very helpful but that he has to do the form again. I know of a few cases of people who have just got the form in the post without any details or letter. I have also been caught out myself. For example, I have told people that fridge freezers are not covered only to be told that Mary down in the other place got hers covered.”
“I acknowledge the work of the Minister and his Department on this scheme. Along with many colleagues, I have brought several queries to the Minister and he has responded in a timely manner, which I acknowledge. Every Member wants schemes like the humanitarian assistance scheme to work for people who deserve them, who are entitled to them and who have suffered, in this case, as the result of a storm. Nobody in this House wants to see people who were affected not getting the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred for things they would not normally have to buy while they were without power covered. In my experience, I have found the scheme to be really messy. I have found a plethora of responses to forms. Just yesterday, I was contacted by a gentleman who had put in for costs incurred while without power and for hotel expenses.”
“I would like to think that lessons will be learnt, not least that the role of Ceann Comhairle should not be a bargaining chip when it comes to government formation talks. The role of Ceann Comhairle should not be on the table when it comes to such talks. Unfortunately, the Government still seems to see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Therein lies part of the problem and part of the reason we are here today.”
“I then heard Deputy Currie speak about the Opposition who had confidence in the Ceann Comhairle when she ruled that the Lowry group could not be in opposition as a technical group. Where is this group? They have a speaking slot now secured alongside Opposition leaders, joined with Government backbenchers in one group. In the eyes of the Lowry group, they are with a group of Government, but they are not Government, but they are Government and they are in a slot with Government. A dangerous precedent has been set that you can run for election, be the chief negotiator in government formation talks, gets jobs in terms of the Ceann Comhairle and Ministers and then choose to sit here or there, be in government or in opposition or in both. That is a dangerous precedent.”
“It is not about one or the other getting their own way; it is about basic procedures and rules that have always been the bedrock of the running of this House. There are three key issues which have been repeatedly raised and which have not been answered by anyone on the Government benches. Every week, a vote is called on the Order of Business. One was called last week. "Vótáil" was clearly called, as it always is. Why was a vote not taken? What was the rush? Questions on Policy or Legislation were dropped out of nowhere. Why? The substantive motion to change Standing Orders was not voted on. Why? What was the rush? It was not the Ceann Comhairle's role to rush business to get to the vote on the motion. That is not the role of the Ceann Comhairle, and it should never be.”
“I listened to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, speak. He said that you cannot disrupt procedures and then talk about the value of order and procedure. I can speak to the value of order because in the five years I have been in this House, I have never disrupted anyone. I have never spoken over anyone and have never raised my voice. Even while listening to non-answers to questions I ask, I do not disrupt. I would usually be the last person to stand up to speak on a motion of no confidence, as we see it, but I do so because, as a Member of this House, I am concerned in relation to the impartiality of the Ceann Comhairle. I listened to the Chief Whip, Deputy Butler, talk about this motion being about the Opposition not getting its way. Similar to the eight minutes argument, that completely misses the point.”
“There was always an inherent unfairness in the eyes of the Department of Social Protection in that for every other means-tested payment it was always the entire household income, whereas for this, their relationship was not recognised. I once met a lady who was in receipt of the blind pension. Her partner got a promotion at work which meant her blind pension was reduced. Of course, she was still blind. Even though she and her partner were not married, that did not matter so in other ways it is still unfair. I would like to see considerable reform in social protection and hopefully we will see it. I think this legislation today is a move in the right direction. The Minister should take the opportunity before Committee Stage to engage with stakeholders, like Treoir, that have raised issues.”
“As my colleague has pointed out, it is a small number and this would make a big difference to their lives. I am thinking of a gentleman in my constituency near my own home who passed away very suddenly. He left a partner whom he was due to marry but Covid prevented that, meaning they never got the opportunity to be married. He left behind children. People like her will not be able to get anything from this. She contacted me yesterday and said that she had actually applied for the payment. There will be a job of work to do in the first instance in looking at that cohort of people and then communicating it to them. We will need to be clear with them if a way forward cannot be found for people bereaved before 2024 because some people will be locked out.”
“I also welcome this legislation and I commend the Minister on bringing it forward. It is an issue that has been raised in here and out in the real world for a number of years. I also take the opportunity to pay tribute to John O'Meara and his family for their work and the role they have taken in making sure that we got to this day and that this legislation is progressed. As we speak on this important legislation today, I am minded of all the people who lost somebody they loved dearly but did not have their relationship recognised by the State which was always deeply unfair. I am also mindful of people who will see this legislation but might not see the small print in relation to 2024 and may automatically assume that they will be able to apply for the widow's pension under the new name but actually will not.”
“I have no issue if a date to end it has to be put in place but that should be publicised and communicated before it closes, not after.”
“I wish to raise the sudden closure of the humanitarian assistance scheme, which has now locked out many people seeking support following Storm Éowyn. This was not advertised or publicised. Offices are turning people with forms away. The ESB will not show any goodwill or common decency - it is going ahead with charging people for a service they did not have. I am disappointed the Government as the majority owner did not step in. People are still without landlines 54 days after the storm. I am aware of people in their 80s and 90s without their panic alarms because they do not have a landline. I do not know what Eir is doing. Will the Taoiseach ensure those genuine cases of people affected by the storm can access the humanitarian assistance scheme?”
“I have repeatedly put forward our proposal to establish a child maintenance service, similar to the one in place in the North of Ireland. I ask that this be considered. Family carers are waiting for proper income support. We need the means test to be removed. Foster carers are waiting for a State pension. I met last week with Cared Ireland, which raises issues relating to eating disorders. I spoke to one of its members last night. They told me of yet another young person, a 22-year-old woman, who has died of an eating disorder. There are no services or supports worth a damn in this State. We are losing people through an illness that is treatable. That is a serious issue.”
“They are the people we leave our most precious human beings with. We need to look at pay and at the failed mechanism being used. If we continue to rely on the JLC, we will continue to lose early years educators from the sector. That means baby rooms and other rooms closing, it means longer waiting lists and it means fewer professionals, which means less childcare at a time when the demand could not be greater. I pay tribute to lone parents, many of whom are women. We still have an issue with child maintenance. I have been raising it here since I was elected. The mother - typically it is the mother - seeks maintenance. She goes round in circles. Bench warrants are often issued and sit on Garda desks. It goes back to court again and again. It is always left on the shoulders of lone parents.”
“Early years educator is primarily a role filled by so many women who do a wonderful job and play an important role in the lives of children and babies. We have a staff turnover rate in some counties of over 50%. I am not sure when the alarm bells will go off in government about the serious recruitment and retention crisis among early years educators. They are leaving in droves. The main issue always comes down to pay. In the SIPTU survey last year, 86% of early years educators said it was pay. The mechanism the Government is using, namely the JLC, is not working. The last pay increase, shamefully, was 65 cent - a slap in the face to these professionals. It took 14 months to negotiate and they got 65 cent. Their current minimum hourly rate is 15 cent above the minimum wage. These are people with degrees and years of experience.”
“I will raise a number of issues where, primarily, women are impacted by Government policy. I will start almost where the Minister started, that is, on affordable childcare. No matter how many times the Government says childcare costs have been cut by 50%, it does not make it true. A survey last year put monthly childcare in various counties at over €600, €800 and €1,100. In the context of the fee assessment for those receiving core funding, we know the majority of those which look to raise their fees will be allowed to do so. This will mean additional childcare costs for many parents across the State. The programme for Government commits to a review of core funding. I ask the Minister to progress it as quickly as possible. We need an independent and thorough review of core funding for children, parents and providers.”
“The current wind energy guidelines are now 19 years old. Last year, the Taoiseach promised that the new updated guidelines would be published by the end of 2024 but the date is now quarter 1 of 2025. At the same time, rural communities are being forced to battle with large companies, sometimes after repeated planning permissions are submitted. We have a particular issue in south Roscommon and north Galway. Some rural communities are banding together to try to gather money and, in some cases, are ending up in court. We need to see updated wind energy guidelines. Will the date of quarter 1 of 2025 be the actual date on which we will see the updated guidelines?”
“We need that roster in place and that decision needs to be reversed. We are not near an accident and emergency department. That is why we got the air ambulance, which is available but further away; it is based in Dublin. An AP can be the difference between life and death. I do not say that to scare people. It is the absolute reality. Nowhere in the Minister of State's response did he acknowledge that a commitment was made to the people of Roscommon and that commitment has been broken. I acknowledge the Minister of State's comments about Loughglynn, where I was lucky enough to be able to deliver a 24-7 service because the previous director Martin Dunne was excellent at engaging and doing what was right. That is also an issue now because we have no engagement at all, unfortunately, with the new director.”
“I am concerned about an acknowledgement that we have more urgent and emergency calls but the only paramedics in the National Ambulance Service who provide advanced life support are not being trained. They are not being respected or recognised either. In fact, I believe they are being dismantled entirely, and Roscommon is a case in point. Management keeps saying they cannot fill the roster in Roscommon. They will not fill it when they are not doing privileging courses and they are not training APs. I am also aware there are advanced paramedics in Roscommon willing to take up a full-time role on that roster but they are stopping themselves from doing it because they are constantly being pulled to cover. If someone became the AP on that roster, they are put off doing that because they are constantly being pulled to cover elsewhere.”
“If patient demand for NAS services continues to rise, with nearly 430,000 urgent and emergency calls received last year, representing a year-on-year rise in volume of 8%, why then has the National Ambulance Service stopped training advanced paramedics? Why has it stopped the privileging courses? Fully qualified advanced paramedics who have trained elsewhere, some I understand in the Defence Forces, can only work as paramedics. That privileging course the National Ambulance Service eventually agreed to run in May of this year might not be able to manage the 14 or 15 people. How can it not run a course for 14 or 15 people and allow them to be advanced paramedics?”
“The privileging course to make them APs and allow them to work here has been suspended. It is said it will be rolled out in May, but there is no guarantee they will manage to do a privileging course for 14 to 15 people, which is ridiculous.”
“I note the majority of calls for the air ambulance come from County Roscommon. We are without the advanced paramedic 24-7 cover, the promised rapid response vehicle and now the air ambulance. I wish to make a point I have made a number of times in the House. I am concerned with the direction in which the National Ambulance Service is taking the service. It appears to be dismantling entirely the role of the advanced paramedic. It is the policy of the director to go in a different direction. It is looking at establishing something else, which is not even up and running yet. It has not been and is not training advanced paramedics anymore. It also has not been doing the privileging courses. We have about 14 or 15 people in the National Ambulance Service working as paramedics who are fully qualified APs but did not qualify here.”
“We started with the use of a paramedic filling the AP roster and now, in the past week, it has been said that the rapid response vehicle – I have confirmed this with management in the National Ambulance Service – is being taken off the road in Roscommon on Thursdays, further downgrading that commitment and breaking that promise to the people of Roscommon. That shift had been filled by overtime. I understand it is a saving to the National Ambulance Service of about €350 a week. It is detrimental to the people of Roscommon should an urgent call come in and there is no advanced paramedic. We have also had the situation in Roscommon where the air ambulance was relocated to Dublin in November arising from works in Athlone. It was due to come back in January. It is March now, and we are still waiting.”
“On the roster that was full with advanced paramedics, one advanced paramedic is missing, meaning that when calls are made, sometimes there is no advanced paramedic when there should be. I recall last year a further reply from the HSE telling me that paramedics and advanced paramedics were the same thing, and that paramedics had been upskilled and could carry out duties similar to that of advanced paramedics. Of course, that simply is not true. Advanced paramedics can administer an additional 23 medications for acute emergency medical and traumatic conditions like a cardiac arrest. They are the only paramedics in the National Ambulance Service who provide the advanced life support that is needed quickly in very urgent cases.”