Mark Ruddy

they're, you know, not going to hang around.

So I don't think forcing people to kind of toe the line is what you should do.

I think we should realise that these are really highly skilled.

Their skill levels have increased so much in the kind of time I've been involved.

And I don't think the stick approach is the way to do it.

I don't think forcing people and telling them how they have to work.

I think we need to recognise their qualifications with Ts and Cs.

And I think that's a better approach to kind of

make sure the service going forward is the service we want in our communities.

In Arklow, we're about an hour and 20 minutes from hospital, probably.

Now, that's a significant time, you know, in traffic to get to a hospital.

So I want the best advanced paramedics and paramedics in my community.

I want them to be paid, I want them to be rested, and I want them to be appreciated.

The alternative is you force them to continue to work, like you say, and then they say that this isn't working for their work-life balance, they can't pay their mortgage, whatever, and then they just leave, and then we have no essential services.

Can I just make one quick point before I go?

I kind of come at it a different way.

So on any day of the week, there are calls waiting.

We don't have enough ambulances.

We could triple the amount of ambulances we have and we'd still have a deficit.

So there aren't enough ambulances on a good day.