Wexford ambulance strikers need Minister Browne to intervene on their behalf
Wexford ambulance strikers need Minister Browne to intervene on their behalf - The Labour Party
Labour TD for Wexford George Lawlor has urged Minister James Browne to intervene and demand action for ambulance strikers in Wexford and across the country.
Deputy Lawlor said:
“Our National Ambulance Service is creaking at the seems because of chronic understaffing. I stand in solidarity with all those striking today, but it shouldn’t have to come to this.
“I am imploring with Minister Browne to raise this at the highest level and work with Government to end industrial action by NAS workers. We need to see the implementation of the Independent Roles and Responsibilities Report to address the chronic understaffing.
“The Independent Review of Roles and Responsibilities Report recommended, among other measures, updated salary scales to reflect the substantial changes in roles, responsibilities, and clinical skills now required of personnel delivering increasingly complex care. Yet those salary changes have still not been implemented.
“This is happening in the context of massive waste across the health system. Responses to Parliamentary Questions revealed to me that over €11million was spent on agency staff in Wexford General Hospital in just three years.
“On healthcare assistants alone, spending on agency staff rose from €522,141 in 2023 to an eyewatering €3,491,868 in 2025. This is no way to run a country.
“There is deep dysfunction in how the HSE is running services in Wexford and I have no doubt that this pattern is replicated across the country. For too long, the HSE has relied on agencies to provide staffing rather than investing in secure jobs and hiring full time staff.
“There is no joined up, long term strategic thinking when it comes to our health services. Today’s ambulance strikes serves to illustrate that point clearly. Government must intervene immediately.”