Minister for Health Leo Varadkar told the Seanad there was "a strong case'' for training fire crews to do ambulance service work.

“That makes a lot of sense,’’ he said. “I cannot for the life of me see any reason that is not a good idea.’’

The Minister was responding to Roscommon Labour Senator John Kelly, who suggested four firemen from every brigade in counties such as Roscommon be trained to emergency medical technician level.

Mr Varadkar said it might be “a little trickier’’ to train them to that level, and he would need to see a worked-up proposal.

“If a person who is trained to such a level does not use his or her skills regularly, he or she can become deskilled and that can actually be unsafe,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Kelly said an estimated 100 paramedics were required in the west of Ireland.

He referred to an incident in Roscommon where it took an ambulance 40 minutes to arrive at the scene of an accident.

“It is nearly a crime in Dublin not to have an ambulance within eight minutes, but it is hit and miss down the country,’’ he said.

Mr Varadkar said plans to improve the ambulance service included more paramedic cover in the west of Ireland.