Sinn Féin calls for overhaul of ambulance service
Sinn Féin is calling for the Health Minister to respond to the crisis in ambulance cover across the country, and particularly in rural Ireland.
The party will be outlining their solutions to the crisis with the launch of an information campaign later this morning.
The party is criticising the Government for not listening to frontline workers and for not investing in the service.
Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Louise O'Reilly says Simon Harris needs to increase recruitment and reequip the national ambulance fleet.
"The fleet does need to be overhauled and some of that work is being done at the moment, and that's to be welcomed," she said.
"But we also have to look at where the money is being spent,
"We have this huge spend on private ambulance services, so that's money that's getting diverted out of the public service, into the private sector - and essentially that's money now not available for public service provision.
"And that's a big mistake - we think that all the money that's spent on healthcare provision should be spent on public services."
