The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has made a u-turn on a previous decision to cancel any additional ambulance cover for next weeks Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann event in Ennis.
An estimated 400,000 people are expected to visit the Co Clare from Sunday for the worlds largest traditional music festival.
While event organisers say they already have put a robust medical plan in place for the event, the National Ambulance Service had also committed to making two additional ambulances and one rapid response unit available for the busier parts of the festival.
However, ambulance paramedics were informed by memo last month that all additional overtime and resources including vehicles and staff, had been cancelled.
The move sparked criticism among business and community leaders while paramedics also expressed outrage claiming the HSE and NAS were “playing with people’s lives.”
An National Ambulance Service confirmed at the time: “Additional resources were considered, but in keeping with previous years, NAS has not committed to providing additional resources for this event.”
Paramedics said however that management had committed to providing two additional ambulances and a rapid response vehicle and that staff from the mid-west and west had signed up for the additional duties.
Event Controller for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016 Adrian Jackson had said: “A robust medical plan is in place that does not include the provision of extra cover by the National Ambulance Service for the duration of the Fleadh.”
He also said the withdrawal of extra cover by the National Ambulance Service would not impact on the plan as submitted but that any additional resources would be welcome.
After being left furious by the cancellation of the original ambulance cover plan, paramedics have now been told that two additional ambulances will be made available for the event.
“It makes sense. Management put on ambulances for the Galway Races last month and for previous Fleadh’s. It would have been a disaster if the same consideration wasn’t given to the hundreds of thousands of people who will be in Ennis next week,” one paramedic said.
“The medical plan for the event is fine for the event but if something serious happens in or around the town with all the additional traffic and thousands of people, there was no guarantee there would be an ambulance available. This decision is welcome and absolutely necessary,” he warned.
The ambulance service has been repeatedly asked to confirm how many ambulances were deployed for last years Fleadh in Sligo and last months Galway races however there has been no response.