The National Ambulance Service says the COVID-19 pandemic has not affected its service in Kerry.
It was responding to a query from Killarney MD councillors, who had requested that the Minister for Health and the HSE urgently improve ambulance waiting times in Kerry.
In June, Radio Kerry revealed that 27 calls to emergency services in the county over a three-month period resulted in waits of one hour or longer for an ambulance.
The longest wait for an ambulance in Kerry between January and March this year was one hour and 40 minutes.
Independent councillor Donal Grady brought this information to a Killarney MD meeting, seeking the council to write to the Minister for Health and the HSE.
In response, the National Ambulance Service says internationally it is recognised that achieving response times in rural settings can be problematic for any ambulance system.
It adds the Emergency Aero Medical Service, the Irish Air Corps and the Irish Coast Guard are essential parts of the country's emergency response, which has reduced scene-to-hospital times from rural areas.
The NAS is also supported by Community First Responder (CFR) schemes; there are 19 CFR schemes in operation in Kerry.
It adds, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, the National Ambulance Service continued to maintain service delivery and protect the public.
