A HSE-commissioned report has found the National Ambulance Service needs 750 extra staff to respond to emergencies in specified times.
The paper - seen by the Irish Times - claims an extra 250 ambulances are also required to try to meet official response targets.
However, it says Ireland is 'too rural' to match the performance of ambulance services in countries like England.
The report by UK consultancy firm Lightfoot Solutions was commissioned after a number of controversies over response times in rural areas and claims that it is under resourced.
Last month, SIPTU members working in the National Ambulance Service centre in Dublin voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in a dispute over staffing levels and the filling of vacancies.
