Deputy Joe Cooney Calls For Examination Of Emergency Response Capacity And Ambulance Provision Across North Tipperary, Clare & Limerick.
The Mid-West recorded the lowest proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients transported to hospital in Ireland in 2025, alongside the lowest rate of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), [ROSC is the resumption of a sustained, natural heart rhythm and effective blood circulation after cardiac arrest] according to figures provided by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney.
Deputy Cooney said these figures raised important questions about emergency response capacity and ambulance provision across North Tipperary, Clare and Limerick, particularly given the region’s combination of longer ambulance response times and lower rates of ROSC and hospital transport.
The figures, released in response to parliamentary questions submitted by Deputy Cooney, show that just 29% of cardiac arrest patients in the Mid-West were transported to hospital last year, compared with a national average of 38%. Of the 233 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases recorded in the Mid-West where resuscitation was attempted or continued, just 68 patients were transported to hospital.
The region also recorded a median ambulance call-to-scene response time of 17 minutes, compared with the national median of 15 minutes. This was joint highest nationally, alongside the West and North West region.
The figures further show that the Mid-West had the lowest rate of return of spontaneous circulation, at 21%, compared with the national average of 25%. The proportion of patients achieving ROSC on arrival at hospital was also the lowest nationally, at 17%, against a national average of 20%.
The percentage of patients surviving to hospital discharge in the Mid-West was 7.3%, compared with 9.7% nationally.
Deputy Cooney said, “When somebody suffers a cardiac arrest, every minute matters. The speed of the emergency response and the availability of appropriate resources can be critical. While the National Ambulance Service has advised that there is no statistically significant difference in survival rates between the regions, the combination of these figures raises legitimate questions about how emergency services are operating across the Mid-West. We need to understand whether there are particular challenges arising from the region’s geography, rural communities, ambulance deployment or access to emergency hospital services.People living in rural parts of Clare, in particular, need to have confidence that they can access an effective and timely emergency response when they need it.”
In its response, the National Ambulance Service said that a higher proportion of cardiac arrest patients were transported to hospital in the more urban regions, particularly Dublin and the North East and Dublin and Midlands regions.
However, it also stated that there was no evidence that a higher proportion of patients being transported was associated with higher survival.
The NAS cautioned that regional differences in survival outcomes should be interpreted carefully because of the relatively small number of cases, adding that there was no statistically significant difference in survival to hospital discharge between the six HSE Health Regions.
Deputy Cooney said he would be seeking further clarification from the HSE and National Ambulance Service on the factors contributing to the figures.
“I want to establish what work has been undertaken to examine why the Mid-West has the lowest transport rate and whether differences in ambulance response times, rural coverage or the availability of resources are contributing factors. I will also be seeking information on ambulance deployment across the region, the role of community first responder schemes and what additional measures could help improve emergency response times. This is about ensuring that people in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary receive the same standard of emergency care and have the best possible chance of survival when faced with a life-threatening medical emergency.”
These figures are deeply concerning, particularly for rural communities in North Tipperary. The question must now be asked: Why are our North Co. Tipperary TDs, (namely Lowry, Kelly & O’Meara), all remaining so silent on such a serious issue? Where is the outrage, the accountability and the demand for better ambulance services? When lives are at stake, silence is simply not good enough. The people of Tipperary deserve answers and action, not excuses.
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