The National Ambulance Service needs to be fully resourced and supported before any lives are lost, according to a local TD.
Northwest TD Marc MacSharry says the midlands, east and northeast ambulance crews are understaffed and rapid recruitment is needed.
The Sligo man cited a road traffic accident two weeks ago where an ambulance was forced to travel from Manorhamilton in Leitrim to attend the incident near Granard.
The ambulance was the second one on the scene after a 1 hour 51-minute drive from its base to attend to three people injured in the crash.
According to Deputy MacSharry, the crew were forced to load two patients onto one ambulance as a third unit was not available to attend anywhere in the region.
Speaking to Shannonside Northern Sound, he says that ambulances diverted long distances to other regions leave their home areas short:
