Offaly TD urges action to save air ambulances

Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Carol Nolan, has written to the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe, asking him to immediately engage with the Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) in order to avert a total collapse of its Air Ambulance service.

Deputy Nolan went on to say that the urgency of the matter was brought home to her after she was contacted by a member of a kayaking club whose member was airlifted by the ICRR air ambulance but who tragically passed away following complications from the accident.

“Communities and groups all over this state are being served through the heroic efforts of our air ambulance services.

"However, those services will almost certainly collapse if funding deficits are not met and if staffing challenges cannot be addressed.

"As I understand it, the ICRR air ambulance service, which aims to bring a rural population of 10,000 square miles south of Galway and Dublin to within 20 minutes of critical medical attention, is facing a fundraising shortfall of €2m because of the Covid-19 emergency.

"Some way must be found to extend bridging levels of financial support to the ICRR in order to see it through this immediate crisis.

"Without it-there can be little doubt that rural communities and families will suffer an entirely avoidable loss of life.

"Maintaining the continuing existence of the Community Response air ambulance service is also important because of the support it offers our Air Corps.

"From what the Minister of State has previously said, the Air Corps were not in a position to accept emergency aeromedical requests by the National Ambulance Service for four days per month between November 2019 and the end of February this year.

"This is down to severe challenges in retaining and recruiting qualified personnel.

"On those four days, the Air Corp were supported by the ICRR.

"This only underscores the vital contribution that the Community Response air ambulance service makes, not just to rural communities, but to communities throughout the country,” concluded Deputy Nolan.