Cllr Johnny Mythen is alleging that Wexford General Hospital has spent €694,433 on private ambulances since 2011, while the National Ambulance Service has been subject to massive cuts and under-investment.
“Wexford Hospital spent over half a million euro on private ambulances over the past seven years and that this does not constitute value for money. This money should instead have been spent purchasing and staffing new ambulances.”
Cllr Mythen said the National Ambulance Service is the frontline of emergency medical and pre-hospital care and they play a vital role in saving lives and transferring patients.
“Unfortunately, ambulance services have suffered from years of cuts, under-investment, and privatisation of ambulance services with over €31m spent on private ambulances by the HSE since 2011.

“Many different hospitals contributed to this high spend including Wexford hospital which spent €694,433 on private ambulances since 2011.
“This huge spend on hiring private ambulance services does not make sense or represent value for money for tax payers.
“Wexford General hospital and the HSE should be purchasing and staffing new ambulances which would make more economic sense in the long run. It should be noted that the money spent on private ambulance services since 2011 would have bought at least three fully equipped emergency ambulances.”
Cllr Mythen claims that to have a responsive, functioning, world class ambulance service, investment in personnel, vehicles, and technology should be a priority, instead of diverting funding to private interests.
“Wexford General Hospital and the State need to ensure that we have a high quality, publicly owned stock of ambulances instead of making huge profits for private companies subsidised by the already over-burdened tax payers of this country,” he concluded.