Kenny Calls for Immediate Intervention to Avert Paramedic Industrial Action
Kenny Calls for Immediate Intervention to Avert Paramedic Industrial Action - The Labour Party
Labour Party TD for Cork North Central, Eoghan Kenny TD, has called on the Government to urgently intervene in the developing dispute within the National Ambulance Service over contracts for newly qualified paramedics.
Deputy Kenny said:
“The threat of industrial action within the National Ambulance Service should never have been allowed to develop. At a time when ambulance response times are already under pressure, the last thing we need is instability caused by poor workforce planning.
Newly qualified paramedics who trained in good faith now find themselves being offered fixed-term contracts instead of the permanent roles they expected. These are frontline healthcare professionals who have committed years of study and service. They deserve clarity and job security, not uncertainty.”
Deputy Kenny said the issue is particularly serious for communities in Cork North Central and across rural Ireland, where ambulance services are often the first and most critical point of emergency care.
“In many parts of Cork, the ambulance is a lifeline. Any disruption to service has very real consequences for families and vulnerable people.
You cannot recruit young people into emergency medicine, train them at public expense, and then shift the goalposts when they qualify. That approach undermines morale and damages trust.”
Deputy Kenny is calling on the Minister for Health to:
- Immediately pause the issuing of fixed-term contracts to newly qualified paramedics
- Engage directly and urgently with union representatives
- Provide a clear and transparent pathway to permanent employment
- Publish a workforce plan for the National Ambulance Service to ensure stable staffing levels
“This situation is avoidable. With proper engagement and leadership, industrial action can be averted. The Government must step in now, restore confidence among frontline staff, and ensure Cork communities have the reliable ambulance cover they depend on.”
Deputy Kenny confirmed he will be raising the matter in the Dáil.