Ambulance whistleblower claims no trained paramedics on duty during Limerick exam results night

A HSE investigation is underway into claims that no trained paramedics were rostered to provide cover to Limerick City and the East of the county on Leaving Certificate exam results night.

The night is known as one of the ambulance service's busiest of the year.

A whistleblower said the National Ambulance Service control in Dublin had to organise a trained paramedic to accompany a student paramedic to provide cover to the entire city and east of the county in one ambulance.

It was claimed that only two student paramedics were roistered to cover Limerick city, and were it not for the Tallaght-based control centre alerting the service in Limerick, an estimated 150,000 people living in the city and parts of the county would have had to rely on ambulances from Tipperary or Clare, or one ambulance crew based in Killmallock in Co Limerick.

The whistleblower also claimed that no trained paramedics were rostered to cover the city last Monday night.

The HSE is expected to issue a statement later today.