The Minister for Health has buried her head in the sand and allowed the crisis in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to worsen on her watch, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, said:
“The Minister for Health should have intervened to avert today’s work-to-rule, but instead she has ignored paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced paramedics, specialist paramedics and paramedic supervisors’ longstanding concerns. The Minister must urgently step up and engage with unions ahead of tomorrow’s planned strike action.
“These workers are burnt out from working in a service that is stretched paper-thin.
“Changes in the NAS have seen it move away from the traditional model of emergency response and patient transport to a higher level of pre-hospital care and treatment.
“While this model is consistent with the principles underpinning Sláintecare, these reforms have not been matched with updated salary scales to reflect changes in workers’ responsibilities and workload, nor recognition of their enhanced skills. In addition, proper workforce planning has been noticeably absent.
“It is now six years this month since the Independent Review of Roles and Responsibilities report within the NAS was published. This review was jointly commissioned by the NAS, SIPTU and the HSE in 2018, and yet its recommendations remain unimplemented.
“While NAS workers have increased their skill sets and taken on more responsibilities, this has gone unrecognised.
“It’s almost as if the review never happened – a review which recommended updated salary scales to reflect changes in NAS personnel’s responsibilities and workload.
“When I asked the Minister for Health about implementing these recommendations last month, instead of answering the question directly, she chose to scapegoat workers and unions.
“The bottom line is this – NAS workers must be remunerated and recognised for the essential and skilled work they do. Seeking fair treatment should not be too much to ask. The work they do is, after all, a matter of life and death.
“The Minister must take ownership of this problem and ensure that the 2020 review is implemented in full, address pay and conditions and publish a proper workforce plan.
“These frontline workers have waited long enough for their skills and expertise to be recognised. The Government cannot ignore them any longer. This dispute must be brought to an end.”
May 11, 2026