"We weren"t asked for an escort"

Gardaí in Mullingar have said this week they were 'never asked' to escort to Dublin the ambulance in which a mother gave birth to a baby which died before reaching the hospital.Criticism was levelled at An Garda Síochána after the tragedy, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon - but it has emerged that no request was ever made of Gardaí in Mullingar to provide an escort for the ambulance.It has emerged that en route to Dublin, the ambulance carrying the expectant mother, a doctor and a nurse, had to pull in when it became clear the baby was going to have to be delivered immediately. The baby, however, did not live.Gardaí in Mullingar have, however, investigated, and are adamant that while a request may have been made by the HSE for a Garda escort, that request was not made to Mullingar Garda station, and point out that it would be rare that a Garda escort would be needed from by an ambulance leaivng Mullingar.It would be more common, a source said, that an escort would be provided as the ambulance approached and went through the city.The HSE has said this week that a Garda escort was actually requested. The request was, the HSE have revealed, not made to Mullingar Garda Station, but to the National Control Centre in Dublin.However, the HSE says, the fact that no escort was available on leaving Mullingar was 'not an issue'.The decision to transfer the expectant mother to Dublin was made, the HSE continued, 'in accordance with all protocols'.The woman, who had previously been a patient of Holles Street Hospital, presented at the Regional Hospital in Mullingar on Tuesday afternoon, according to the HSE.'In line with protocol, she was examined by a consultant paediatrician and a consultant gynaegologist,' a HSE statement read.It continued by stating that 'again in line with protocol', the medical consultants made the decision to transfer the patient to Dublin.'She was accompanied in the ambulance by a paediatric registrar and a midwife, again according to protocol.'A Garda escort was requested but none was available on leaving Mullingar, however a garda escort did join the ambulance from Lucan to Holles Street.'On the way, the ambulance was parked at Lucan and the baby was delivered. Despite every effort by the medical team to resuscitate the baby in line with best practice, their efforts were unsuccessful. The ambulance then proceeded to Holles Street, accompanied by a Garda escort.'A HSE spokeswoman said this week that although a call had been put through to Gardaí, the accompaniment of an escort would not have got the ambulance to Holles Street any faster.'An issue was made out of it in the tabloids last week, but the Garda escort was not the issue here,' she said.'The ambulance could not have gone any faster. Protocol was followed at all times in the hospital and by staff in the ambulance.''It was published in some newspaper articles during the week as if it was our mistake, but there wasn"t any call put through to Mullingar Gardaí,' said the Garda spokesperson.'We are happy with the service we provide here, but we will not take the blame for other people"s mistakes,' he said.'At no stage were Mullingar Gardaí involved in any of this.'It is thought that a call was put through to Gardaí in Dublin, and when a car became available, it then joined the ambulance at Lucan.The HSE refused to comment on why the woman presented at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar and not Holles Street, on whether she was a native of the town, and on why the decision was taken to transfer her to Holles Street Hospital, only saying that 'protocol' had been followed at all times.