New figures from the HSE reveal that the national ambulance service is not meeting the response target times for emergencies.
For Echo cases, which are life-threatening cardiac or respiratory arrest, ambulances are expected to arrive 80% of the time, in just under 19 minutes.
For Delta cases, which are life threatening illness or injury, other than cardiac or respiratory arrest, ambulances are expected to arrive 50% of the time in just under 19 minutes.
Figures supplied by the HSE for today's Oireachtas Health Committee show that for Echo cases last year, 72% were within target and for Delta cases, 41% were within target.
The HSE said that there is a significant gap between demand and capacity.
Figures provided to the Committee show that in December and January last, the HSE's national ambulance services received around 1,865 calls a day - an increase of 19% on what was seen a year ago.
Data supplied by Dublin Fire Brigade of its ambulance service for today's hearing also shows that the average off-load or hospital turnaround time is getting longer.
Last year, it was 39 minutes but 16% of incidents had a turnaround time of over an hour.
In 2020, the comparable average turnaround time was 29 minutes with 6% of ambulances experiencing off-load delays of over an hour.
The Health Committee was told by the ambulance service that among the more challenging places in the country to serve are the west of Ireland, parts of the south east and Connemara.
Dennis Keeley, Chief Fire Officer for Dublin Fire Brigade, told the Committee that the combined resources of the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade cannot meet current ambulance demand in Dublin City and County.
Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall TD said she had a major problem with the governance of the service.
She wanted to know where the buck stops with so many agencies involved and why a Dublin ambulance review report in 2016 was not published.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, a paramedic working in the national ambulance service in Dublin warned that the service is under significant strain and is suffering from staff retention problems and capacity issues.
Brendan Flynn, the regional representative of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association branch of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, said this was the result of under resourcing of the ambulance service over decades.
He said that Dublin Fire Brigade requested national ambulance service assistance on 63,000 occasions last year, but the service was not able to provide resources in 76% of these cases.
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