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THE NATIONAL AMBULANCE Service has insufficient funding and staff to manage and maintain its fleet of almost 700 vehicles with some emergency ambulances being kept in service beyond the recommended age limit of five years.
A report by HSE internal auditors also revealed that funding for the replacement of ambulances operated by the NAS in 2023 is 50% below the required level.
It showed that the annual budget for ambulance replacement has remained static at €14.5 million since 2016, although the total expenditure in maintaining and replacing the fleet in 2023 was €32 million.
The audit concluded that it could only provide “limited” reassurance about the adequacy and effectiveness of the governance, risk management and internal control system for operating the NAS fleet of ambulances.
“There are weaknesses in the system of governance, risk management and controls which create a significant risk that the system will fail to meet its objectives,” it noted.
The audit added: “Action is required to improve the adequacy and/or effectiveness of the system.”
It highlighted how there were no reserve emergency ambulances at the time of the audit with no policy in place to address the issue.
In addition, no funding has been secured by the NAS to facilitate the environmental requirements for moving towards a sustainable fleet.
The audit noted that 15% of emergency ambulances – 45 out of 302 vehicles – were kept in use beyond the recommended age limit of five years with some retained in use for up to seven years.
Among the main findings, the audit highlighted how there were only five staff employed in the NAS’s fleet and assets department at the end of 2023 when it had been identified in 2021 that there would be a need for 19 posts by 2026.
One employee has responsibility for managing contracts for fuel, uniform and consumable contracts worth around €25 million, while another oversees €30-35 million capital funding.
The audit also identified a series of shortcomings and inefficiencies in the management of the NAS fleet.
It revealed that there is an incomplete listing of all NAS vehicles, while there were several maintenance contracts in place around the country which lack consistency in terms of pricing and service turnaround times.
The report showed that there was no complete listing of all breakdowns of ambulances last year.
HSE auditors said such insufficient oversight of the health of the fleet increased the risk of disruption to ambulance services.
They claimed the current practice does not facilitate oversight of expenditure for breakdowns for accurate budgeting and the tracking of frequent issues in specific vehicles and across the fleet.
However, the audit acknowledged that work was in progress on establishing a Fleet Asset Coordination Centre within the NAS which will hold real-time information on every vehicle including on repairs and servicing.
The NAS responds to over 400,000 ambulance calls each year and employs over 2,400 staff across 100 locations with a fleet of 675 vehicles.
Under Sláintecare reforms, it is proposed that the NAS will provide a monitoring service to other HSE fleet operators to support their procurement specification, regulatory and compliance requirements.
The NAS with its partners transport approximately 40,000 patients, coordinates and dispatches more than 800 air ambulance calls and completes 600 paediatric and neonatal transfers per annum.
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Why would you go to a concert featuring a person who does not like playing to a white audience and as mentioned leaves paying fans waiting for hours,
Lauren Hill has never played a concert without drama
@Mark Allen: you don’t have to go Mark
@Mark Allen: When to see her in Sydney a week ago. Didn’t wait longer than 30 mins for her main stage set and credited the Aus crowd for their involvement. How many times have you seen her?
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Barry don’t worry I won’t be
@Oisín Farrelly: Congrats on enjoying her gig but she did make a statement a few years ago more or less saying she hated people with light skin and that as far as I am aware makes her a racist,so sorry if you feel annoyed but that’s the truth and sometimes the truth hurts
@Mark Allen: “more or less saying…….. as far as I’m aware…….racist………..truth hurts”
@Bryan Yelahw: Cheers Bryan for that link
The Miseducation of Mark Allen
@Mark Allen: to be fair, MANY artists and bands keep audiences waiting for hours.
@Mark Allen: were you at her Dublin gig? Obviously not.No drama.
@Mark Allen: I heard you the 1st time, Jesus
@Mark Allen: you’re always moaning. Just play your snooker
Lauren Hill has a history of making her fans wait 2/3 hrs as she has a history of showing up late – be warned.
@Paul Quirke: she was interviewed on the radio in New York a few yrs back and she stated she didn’t want white people buying her records or listening to her music so you are spot on
@Niamh O Hanlon: she never said that. It’s amazing what people will choose to believe.
Liam’s gig should be at Pairc Hi Chaoimh after the legendary concerts in 96. He would easily sell it out. A pity.
@Padraig: i agree pal as he not playing in dublin..these tickets be like gold dust
@Barry Zuckerkorn: you obviously don’t know what talent is then so…Have seen him in his Oasis days and post Oasis and he always
puts on a hell of a gig along with some great new material! What’s not to like!!!
@Pauly_G_87: his voice is absolutely nackered, he was a great singer twenty years ago, these days he’s just embarrassing
@Anita Ward: let’s not be too dramatic.
@Barry Zuckerkorn: Ed sheeran sold out 3 nights there.. He’s not fit to clean Liams boots.
@Anita Ward: More like dust on top of the old TV in the attic.
@Rob Cahill: As much as I dislike Ed Sheerin, he can write songs, play guitar and actually hold a note. So in terms of talent I’d say Ed has the tambourine man whooped unfortunately, Liam was a good front man 20 years ago. And even then he borrowed heavily from John Lennon and Ian Brown.
@Rob Cahill: I agree
Can’t wait for the spate of “he doesn’t sing correctly and he acts mean in front of the cameras!” comments from people who don’t actually grasp the nuances of what being a rock and roll star are. You can always boogie on down to The Script that night or drop your halfs and gurn away to your proper choons.
The world needs a Liam Gallagher. Just the one, thankfully
@Stu Kent: eh hello? You are the only one making this comment about him. The irony
@Stu Kent: Well said
@Paul Quirke:
Google ‘pre-emptive’ and get cosy with some of the definitions.
@Stu Kent: so he’s just living a stereotype? How sad.
@Stu Kent: the nuances of being a rock & roll star? Sounds more like boy band talk.
@Dave O’Keeffe:
Living a character, I would argue. Something that’s been sorely lacking with guitar bands for years now.
Besides, you say stereotype like it’s a bad thing. Super Mario, Rocky Balboa and Jesus Christ are all stereotypes. We have an affinity towards relatable iconography in entertainment.
Not sure how sad it is to be 25 years into your career and still be a magnet for young lads who want to see music actually being performed live, but whatever. I’m sure you’re into proper stuff.
@Stu Kent: and what is being a rock star? Having any semblance of ability is essential. Liam cannot sing his voice is absolutely shot, he sings through his nose. He has swagger of course, but what use is that on its own. Jim Morrison had a fine voice, jagger still does, elvis was a crooner. Liam is pretty awful
@Stu Kent: nah you just wrong..
I didn’t even know they were going out…
Lauryn Hill is a racist
@Mumpsimus: how is she racist?
@t-rex orange county: she was quoted as saying she would rather see her children starve than have a white person buy her records
@niamh ryan: Misquoted. All she said was she loved her people and would continue making music for them. The rest is lies.
@niamh ryan: was pure lies and MTV denied she said such things.
@Rob Cahill: that was what was widely reported at the time, probably 20 years ago at this stage.
@niamh ryan: You mean the fake quotes?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-miselucidation-of-lauryn-hill/
It’s amazing how something completely made up over 20 years ago can hang around to this day, like this commenter is unlikely to have have been listening to the Howard Stern show the fake quote came out of which means it’s bounced around for years or even decades with it being assumed to be true.
@Graeme O’Connor: somebody asked why was she racist. I replied as to why people thought she was. I don’t know about the rumor still hanging around, I heard it 20 years ago and have not heard a thing about her since. I was surprised to even read her name. Did a quick google search of her out of interest. Have a look at her open letter on tumblr and then tell me she is not racist. And completely cazy
Liam Gallagher hell yeah,good old rocknroll. Madferit
Has anyone told Lauren hill we are a mostly white country, is she gonna arrive and give us stick for being red headed white leprechauns, they really should make that an announcement when the plane lands
Heard multiple reports that despite all the other stuff about her sentiments towards white people and leaving people waiting in the rain etc, she’s brutal live.
Good, there’s two more dates freed up for me.
Is the event centre ready!!
Laura Hill, they should call her Over the Hill
Went to her concert in Dublin last year and she wasn’t very good, left after 25 minutes, I couldn’t stick it anymore, and I wasn’t the only one leaving early.
Laura Hill, they should call her Over the Hill
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