An increase in ambulance response times across the South since 2019 have been described as "worrying and dangerous".
Sinn Fein's Health spokesperson David Cullinane obtained the figures from the National Ambulance Service through a parliamentary question
The response reveals that within HSE South, the percentage of life-threatening incidents responded to within the target of 19 minutes has fallen from 73% in December 2019 to 61% in December last year for cardiac and respiratory arrest, and from 47% to just 28% for other life-threatening incidents.
Deputy Cullinane says it's clear the Ambulance Service is under serious strain which is exactly what paramedics in Cork have been warning for years and he's accused the Government of faililng to properly resource the service .
The figures come as the National Ambulance Service revealed that emergency calls to the Service are growing exponentially.
By 2027, volumes are expected to increase by 107 per cent.
The Director of the National Ambulance Service Robert Morton told an Oireachtas Health Committee meeting that more people are accessing healthcare through 999 calls, than a GP service.
"When we look at call volumes that come from GPs, GP call volumes are actually in decline. We've seen a 6% reduction in the volume of calls we get from GPs.
"The numbers would suggest that more people are accessing healthcare through 999 than would have traditionally ended up with us."
