Emergency services were short two ambulances because of “short-notice absences” of staff on the night a man bled to death after he severed an artery when he cut his arm on a glass panel.

Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin said eight emergency ambulances and two rapid response vehicles were operating on the night "of this dreadful accident" when Dualtagh Donnelly died in Dundalk.

His home was five minutes from the ambulance base.

Mr Howlin said there were normally 10 ambulances on duty. “The reduction in staff was short notice absences on the night, which I understand is not an exceptional circumstance.”

He pointed out that the 2015 target for responding to emergencies was 18 minutes and the rapid response vehicle arrived in 23 minutes.

The Minister said the emergency services were called at 3.06 am on the 26th October and the response vehicle arrived at 3.29 and the ambulance at 3.49.

Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty sharply criticised the Minister. "You say the Government will address these problems. You are five years into office," he said and there had been many incidents of ambulance delays and "wheels falling off the ambulance".

But Mr Howlin said “64 new ambulances have been provided at a cost of €9.4 million”

He told Fianna Fáil's Dara Calleary all the concerns of the Donnelly family would be fully investigated.

He also said gardaí were investigating an alleged assault on an 89-year-old women who was placed in an all-male ward because of overcrowding.

A male patient had been moved to a separate area and was being monitored by security on a 24-hour basis until he was placed in a facility appropriate to his needs.