95% of public would not assist in an emergency

The vast majority of the public would not respond to a heart attack, car crash or other emergency situation even if they have first-aid training, a survey has found.

The study by NUI Maynooth for the Irish Red Cross discovered fear of being sued or lack of practice were key among the factors causing 95% of those who answered being unlikely to offer assistance.

But with research suggesting more than half the deaths of children from injuries are preventable, the Red Cross says compulsory first-aid training for all second-level students could help.