Doolan - Harney must halt privatisation of Dublin's ambulance service
Published: 2 February, 2007
Sinn Féin Dublin South East Representative Cllr. Daithí Doolan met this week
with SIPTU representatives of the Dublin Fire Brigade to discuss an
impending European court judgment that could force this vital service into
the hands of private operators.
The Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) has provided an emergency ambulance service to
the City since 1898. In 1971 the then Health Board (now Health Service
Executive) became the Statutory Provider of the service. From that point on
the HSE instructed the Dublin Fire Brigade to continue providing the city's
ambulance service.
Cllr. Doolan explains, "in 2003, then MEP for the Green Party, Patricia
McKenna instigated a case in Europe against the Government on behalf of a
private ambulance service operator. The European Advocate General judged in
favour of McKenna on the grounds that the agreement between DFB and the HSE
was not put for private tender. The case continued on to the European Court
of Justice and a final judgment against the Government is expected in at any
time along with a possible fine for the Irish Government."
Cllr. Doolan said, "the men and women of the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance
Service have been the back bone of this city's emergency service provision
for over 100 years. It currently employs 110 people, has 11 ambulances and
responds to over 90,000 emergency calls for the Dublin region. These already
highly skilled paramedics have completed an 8-month course in Boston and
keep their skills current by assisting in our busy hospitals. Putting out to
tender the provision of an established emergency service is inappropriate.
This is people's lives we're talking about, not city council stationery."
Cllr. Doolan continued "there has been no preparatory work done to prepare
the city for this expected judgment. We believe the European court decision
should respect the right of a member state Government to provide essential
services for its citizens. Forced privatisation can only lead to a disparate
service answerable only to profit and rarely the people it is intended to
serve."
Cllr. Doolan concluded "Minister for Health & Children Mary Harney could
resolve this matter by simply making Dublin Fire Brigade the Statutory
Provider of Dublin's emergency ambulance service. This would negate the
European Court judgment I have put a Parliamentary Question to the Minister
to this effect. I have also contacted the City Manager asking him to outline
what preparation Dublin City Council has made in preparation for the
European court judgment."
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