Ambulance breakdown raises fears for ageing fleet

An ambulance transporting a young patient from Donegal to Dublin broke down outside Letterkenny, so another vehicle had to be called to continue the journey.

The National Ambulance Service Representative Association (NASRA) has warned that it is only a matter of time before an incident like this one, which happened last month, will seriously impact on a patient outcome.

NASRA secretary, Tony Gregg, said the Donegal incident is yet another example of the problems arising with the ageing and high mileage ambulance fleet: “The ambulance is a basic tool of the emergency services and it is unacceptable that some vehicles, with more than 450,000km on the clock and parts falling off, are still allowed on the road. It is time for significant investment by government to address the issue.”