Shane Moynihan
Ceist:1034. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Health her views on a matter (details supplied) [34098/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 May 2026
Ceisteanna (1034)
Freagraí scríofa
It is regrettable that SIPTU and UNITE members in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) have chosen to proceed with industrial action, given the clear risk this poses to service capacity and the potential disruption to emergency care and timely access to life-saving services.
Patient safety remains the overriding priority. The HSE has agreed contingency arrangements with the trade unions to ensure that life-threatening emergencies continue to be responded to and that patients are prioritised based on clinical need. Members of the public are advised to call 999 or 112 as usual in an emergency, and while there may be delays in responding to non-life-threatening calls, the emergency line remains fully operational and priority will be given to the most serious cases, including cardiac or respiratory arrest and major trauma such as road traffic accidents. All other health services remain in operation. For less urgent needs, patients may be directed to alternative care options such as local injury units, GPs, out-of-hours services or community pharmacies, with further information available on HSE.ie.
The State accepts that NAS pay structures need to be modernised, and previous engagement at the WRC concluded with the State offering pay increases of 3–14%, on top of the 9.25% increase under the current Public Service Agreement. While union leadership recommended these proposals to members, they were subsequently rejected in a ballot. The current position is that staff are seeking further pay increases without implementation of the agreed reforms, which were a core part of the WRC discussions.
While we want NAS staff to receive these pay improvements as quickly as possible, these increases were linked to essential service reforms designed to improve patient care, response times and how services are delivered, by supporting better deployment, and training and professional development of staff.
The only way to resolve this issue is through dialogue. The HSE remains available to engage at any time, and I strongly urge the unions to re-engage through the established industrial relations mechanisms in the interests of patients, staff and the wider public.