Ambulance safety issues ‘can be quickly overcome’

Minister for Defence Simon Coveney says he believes health and safety issues with a number of costly Defence Force ambulances can be overcome quickly and cost-effectively.

The six ambulances, purchased at a cost of almost €900,000 between 2012 and 2014, pose a risk of injury to staff because of difficulties loading and unloading patients due to the height of the vehicle base.

Yesterday Mr Coveney said the Defence Forces were working with the ambulance manufacturers on developing a “practical design-based solution”, which he said he did not anticipate running to “hundreds of thousands of euro”.