Air ambulance service to be 'temporarily relocated' from Athlone

The HSE has confirmed that the emergency air ambulance service, currently based in Custume Barracks, will likely be transferred to Dublin while structural repair work is carried out at the hangar in Athlone.

A HSE spokesperson told the Westmeath Independent that the start date of the repair works which would see the temporary relocation of the service from Athlone had "yet to be confirmed by the Defence Forces to the HSE National Ambulance Service".

The HSE said the Irish Coast Guard would continue to support the national ambulance serrvice "from bases in Sligo and Shannon" for the duration of the Athlone works.

On Wednesday of this week, Galway-Roscommon Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane told Shannonside FM that the service may be moved for a period of six to eight weeks, which she said was “unacceptable”, and suggested the service should be relocated to another site nearby, such as Knock or Galway, while the works are undertaken.

Deputy Kerrane also noted that the last time the service was moved for such works, it took three months for it to be returned to Athlone.