Memo to big business: Stop counting the pennies and show some humanity

Irish Ferries may be upset by what happened to its Polish passenger, but if it is embarrassed then its condition was probably heightened to hear that rival Stena Line provides defibrillators on board all of its vessels, even though its regulator does not require it to do so.

IF YOU are going to have a heart attack, you had better pray it doesn’t happen when you are on board one of the Irish Ferries ships. Last week, a Polish lorry driver suffered a fatal heart attack when on board the Ulysses travelling from Holyhead to Dublin. He received assistance from a qualified nurse and another passenger with first aid, but the absence of a defibrillator greatly hindered their efforts.

The man did not survive the crossing. Having a defibrillator on board would have cost this rich company just a miserable 2,500.