Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
1127. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health to confirm whether any independent review, audit, or evaluation of ambulance dispatch practices has been conducted by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, the HSE, HIQA, or any external body since 2020, and if so, to provide details. [34655/26]
View answer1128. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the absence of a defined national dispatch-time standard has been formally recorded on any risk register within the HSE or Department of Health, and if so, to provide details of that risk classification. [34656/26]
View answer1129. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health which body holds ultimate responsibility for setting national dispatch-time standards in Ireland. [34657/26]
View answer1130. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the existing Priority Dispatch Standard includes defined maximum time thresholds for call handling and resource allocation, and if not, whether this absence has been reviewed. [34658/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1127, 1128, 1129 and 1130 together.
The regulator for the prehospital emergency care profession, the Prehospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) is the independent statutory body that sets the standards for the delivery of prehospital emergency care in Ireland.
National Ambulance Service key performance indicators relating to emergency resource allocation and emergency response, as published in the HSE's National Service Plan and based on the HIQA standard, align to the Priority Dispatch Standard as published by PHECC. I am informed by PHECC that the Dispatch Standard was last reviewed in September 2025.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly with any further pertinent information it may have.
