Local Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley raised the need to improve ambulance cover in Laois and Offaly at the Dáil Public Accounts meeting recently.
Deputy Stanley, who is Chair of PAC, raised the matter with HSE chiefs and head of the National Ambulance Service Robert Morton.
This was done in the context of the population increase and recent problems with ambulance waiting times in the Midlands.
Robert Morton gave the following reply: “Certainly, there is a need to look at services in the Portarlington and north Laois area.
“We are examining that at the moment. We are looking at the area that was the M8 corridor down to Durrow and Cullahill.
“We are currently working with Kilkenny County Council to procure the old fire station in Urlingford with a view to setting up an emergency dispatch point that would then service what was the old N8 corridor; places like Cullahill across to Castlecomer and Durrow and areas that are not particularly well-served by Portlaoise.
“It is quite a distance away in the event of an emergency. That is what we are working on at the minute.”
Welcoming these developments Deputy Stanley said: “This would improve cover in the South and the North of Laois and also in East Offaly.
“The plan to locate a local ambulance bases in Portarlington and Urlingford would greatly improve emergency cover.
“I also raised again with him the fact that ambulances from the Midlands were being sent long distances under their ‘dynamic deployment model’.
“At times this has left the counties without an ambulance, with crews being sent as far away as Waterford and Cork.
“The HSE and Mr. Morton have given assurances that they are now putting a general 80km (50 miles) limit on the catchment area that ambulance services cover.
“I welcome this positive development as I have raised this matter several times over the past 2 years with the HSE and the Minister for Health.”
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