Second ambulance for Inishowen

The National Ambulance Service is set to locate six additional ambulance personnel to the peninsula under its service plan for 2019.

These extra resources will allow for an additional day crew to operate and cover Inishowen and this is expected to be in place by June. The plan also includes a new deployment point in Buncrana.

Donegal County Councillor Martin McDermott told the Journal that those people who came forward to share their own experiences with ambulance delays and issues need to be acknowledged for the part they played in securing a second crew. He said: “It would have been very hard to bring the issue of how much a second ambulance was needed to the NAS without those experiences. A lot of people in Inishowen came to me to help me bring a case to the NAS.”

Colr McDermott said he was “delighted” with the news and told how he has a meeting with the director of NADS later this month to discuss how the new service will be implemented. He added how it’s “vitally important it is run in a way that facilitates the peninsula and not in a way that facilitates the needs and downfalls of the NAS.”

Colr McDermott said it was also important that, when the Inishowen ambulances are deployed, those most in need, such as North Inishowen, receive precedence over areas elsewhere in Donegal.

“And, if the Carn ambulance goes out and the second ambulance is in Buncrana, we need to be 100% sure that ambulance is moved into Carn and not sent elsewhere in the county.”

The news was also welcomed by Colr Rena Donaghey, who said Inishowen would “finally get” the service it deserves, as well as Deputy Charlie McConalogue, who received confirmation of the news yesterday morning.

Senator Padraig MacLochlainn said it was a “great day” for the people of Inishowen.