The State's ambulance fleet is urgently in need of upgrading, emergency service workers have warned.

New figures have revealed that more than 200 ambulances required breakdown assistance last year.

Nearly 5% of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) fleet has over 300,000 kilometres on the clock, according to the figures.

Speaking today, Tony Gregg, the national secretary of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association (NASRA) warned that the figures highlight a "potentially dangerous situation for both patients and ambulance crews."

"Unfortunately, we have seen a number of near tragic incidents around the country resulting from mechanical faults in the ambulance fleet in recent years," he said.

"These were in part responsible for the programme of replacement that began in 2015, but it is now time for the complete decommissioning of aging and 'clapped out' ambulances which should have no place in a modern National Ambulance Service that has a greater and more important role in the delivery of health services than ever before." 

Data regarding ambulance breakdowns before this year is scarce with the only available figures showing that 235 NAS vehicles required roadside assistance during a nine-month period in 2015.