The formation of the next government could hinge on State funding for the country’s first charity air ambulance.

The National Ambulance Service has told cash-strapped air ambulance charity chiefs to cut their costs if they want the service to survive.

The HSE’s National Ambulance Service (NAS) has blamed turn-around times at hospital emergency departments (EDs) over the Christmas and New Year period for the lack of availability of resources to respond to emergency calls.

Minister Regina Doherty has expressed condolences in the Dáil to the family of a woman who died after it took an ambulance 71 minutes to reach her home just 2km away.

Fianna Fáil is calling for action to address the deterioration in ambulance turnaround times over the past two years.

On one occasion, it was nearly four hours before a patient was attended to.

Up to 500 ambulance staff are threatening to intensify their campaign of strike action.

Brendan Porter's mother Maura, aged 70, died after she was struck by a car on her way home from Mass in Carndonagh, Co Donegal in December 2013.

Ireland’s first charity-funded air ambulance has finally gone live as a dedicated asset of the National Ambulance Service (NAS).

An ambulance rushing to attend a 65 year old-woman who collapsed with a heart condition was delayed for over 20 minutes by haphazardly parked cars.

Ambulance workers from the Psychiatric Nurses Association say they have been left with no choice but to go on strike.

Siptu have confirmed that its union members working in the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare will be balloted for industrial action.

12 paramedics have been forced off duty because of the attacks.

A series of protests are taking place across Ireland today in support of striking ambulance workers.

After five months on the ground, Ireland’s first charity-funded air ambulance is finally set for take-off — with a promise of delivering pre-hospital emergency care within 20 minutes to those in need.

On two occasions this year, it took an ambulance more than 60 minutes to arrive at a life-threatening emergency, according to Ambulance Service data.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) maintains that the recognition of other trade unions except Siptu, which represents frontline staff, would undermine work relations.

A 24-hour long strike is to be held by more than 500 ambulance personnel nationwide on Friday in an ongoing row over union recognition.

The concern voiced by Cork councillors about the unconscionable delay in getting the country’s first, and much-needed, charity-funded air ambulance service off the ground raises a life or death question: what is it about the provision of such an amenity that Ireland finds so difficult?

There is a call on the Health Minister to carry out a review of resource levels for HSE and Dublin Fire Brigade ambulances in Dublin.

Ambulance personnel nationwide are to go on strike for 24 hours in a further escalation of a row over union representation with the HSE.

Ambulance workers will hold a fifth day of industrial action at stations across the country today.

Up to 500 ambulance staff nationwide are to hold a fifth strike tomorrow in a stand-off with the HSE over their right to be represented by a trade union of their choice.

Ambulance personnel from the Psychiatric Nurses Association have announced plans to hold a protest outside the Dáil later this month.

Further ambulance strikes are likely if the HSE continues to refuse to recognise the right of more than 500 personnel to be represented by the union of their choice, the Psychiatric Nurses Association has warned.

A two-day strike by ambulance personnel members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association gets underway this morning.

Ambulance staff nationwide are to strike for two days from tomorrow in an ongoing row over the choice of union representation with the HSE.

Members of the personnel branch of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) are to hold the work stoppages on Friday, February 15, Thursday, February 28 and Friday, March 1.

Two further days of strike action are being planned by around 500 ambulance personnel.

Well-organised unions are, or were, a positive part of Ireland’s economic evolution. Today the influence of unions is, effectively, confined to the public sector. Far too many private sector workers are denied meaningful representation.