Update 10am: The HSE has said a review into National Ambulance Service Capacity provides a clear direction for enhancing the service over the next seven years.

The report, commissioned by the HSE and carried out by Lightfoot Solutions in the UK, found that Irish ambulances serve a much greater rural population than their counterparts in England and Scotland, which in itself, presents major challenges for performance.

It found just one in 15 ambulances reaches patients in need of emergency care within the eight-minute target in rural areas.

It has issued 17 recommendations, including further investment in ambulances and control room technology.

The review also suggests additional resources in certain locations and an expanding of the Community First Responder Schemes.

You can read the report in full here.

EarlierThe Health Minister Simon Harris is to publish a review of ambulance response times, which shows they are much slower than recommended.

A new HSE report has found just one in 15 ambulances reaches patients in need of emergency care within the eight-minute target in rural areas.

The National Ambulance Service review also found that 750 more staff and an additional 250 ambulances are needed.

Dr Mick Molloy, a consultant in emergency medicine agrees that the ambulance service needs to be better resourced.

However, he has said the eight minute timeframe has come from a US report which does not have evidence to back it up.

“Ambulances have to go somewhere as well, so when they pick up the patient we now have situations where hospitals which previously would have been receiving hospitals for ambulances are no longer the receiving hospitals,” said Dr Molloy.

“Journeys are much longer for the ambulance services as well in Ireland than perhaps they would be in the United States, so that further impacts on the ability to meet these target times.”