Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon/Galway Claire Kerrane has announced that Loughglynn Ambulance Service in West Roscommon will begin operating on a 24/7 basis from this week following positive meetings held with the Director of the National Ambulance Service. 

Speaking today, Teachta Kerrane said: 

“I was contacted by the Director of the Ambulance Service yesterday evening. He confirmed that he was implementing a number of interim measures in order to begin 24/7 cover at Loughglynn through the use of overtime and non-rostered staff. 

“These interim measures will no longer be required once the next cohort of trainee Paramedics complete the course and become available for deployment. 

“This is really good news for Loughglynn and for the entire West Roscommon region. 

“After the closure of the A&E in Roscommon in 2011, we were promised a rapid response ambulance service that never came to pass. Instead, we were left with an air ambulance that only flew during the day and a part-time ambulance service. That was never acceptable to me or to the people of Roscommon. 

“I want to record my thanks to the Director of the National Ambulance Service Martin Dunne for honouring the commitment he made to me last year on making this service 24/7. 

“I also want to commend the Paramedics on the frontline who have worked so incredibly hard in Loughglynn under immense pressure responding to calls from four different Counties dealing with record numbers of calls. Between January 2019 and October 2020 they received 4,259 calls, 3,988 of which were emergency calls.

“The issue of ensuring a 24/7 Ambulance Service at Loughglynn was a priority for me on my election. I made a commitment to the people ahead of the General election last year to work hard to greatly improve the ambulance service in this region and I am really proud to have been in a position to deliver that today.

“I know that this decision to move to 24/7 cover will save lives.”