Minister formally opens Mullingar ambulance station

Today (Friday March 31), Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD officially opened the new HSE National Ambulance Service ambulance station at Devlin Road, Mullingar.

The new station replaces the previous base at the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar campus. It will accommodate emergency services, administrative and staff facilities, and enclosed ambulance parking areas.

The HSE said the investment in the facility reflects a wider commitment by them and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to providing optimal pre-hospital care to communities across the country and to providing appropriate facilities to ambulance crews.

Minister Donnelly said this morning: “It’s fantastic to be here today in Mullingar to officially open this vital local health service resource. This new facility is the latest example of the government’s continued investment in the National Ambulance Service, not just here in the midlands, but across the country.

“The community in Mullingar and surrounding areas will now benefit from a new ambulance station that supports the delivery of optimal emergency and community health services. This new facility will also enhance the wellbeing of our dedicated NAS staff."

“The NAS staff here in Mullingar and across the country, whom we all depend upon to deliver an essential frontline emergency service, have played a pivotal role over the last three years in delivering the HSE’s Covid-19 pandemic response. I also want to acknowledge their role in driving wider healthcare reforms.

“Despite significant increases in demand for emergency services in recent years, NAS have continued to rise to meet this demand and I want to reiterate my thanks once again to the members of the NAS for the vital work they carry out every day of the year, 24/7, and for their unwavering commitment to the highest standards of patient care around the country.”

Robert Morton, director of the HSE National Ambulance Service, said: “I very much welcome the development of this new ambulance station, which will be great asset to the town of Mullingar and surrounding areas. This facility is an important one and will assist the National Ambulance Service to fulfil its mission to provide high-quality, safe and patient-centred services.

“This care begins immediately at the time an emergency call is received and continues through to the safe treatment of the patient and transportation and handover of the patient to the clinical team at the receiving Hospital Emergency Department if required.

“I have no doubt that this new ambulance station will be important in helping us to achieve our ultimate aim of improving patient outcomes while ensuring appropriate care delivery. I would like to wish every success to the NAS crews based here in Mullingar and to thank everyone who helped to bring this new station to fruition. It will be a tremendous asset to the National Ambulance Service for many years into the future.”

Construction of the new single-pitch ambulance building began in May 2021 and was completed in June 2022. The station is designed to accommodate 28 staff and allows for swift access and exit from the site, which includes 16 car parking spaces and a boundary fence with swing gates.

The accommodation also includes training facilities, a reflection and study room for staff and indoor bays for duty crews.

The station was constructed by Kealy Construction, Dunshaughlin, and designed by Dublin-based architects MCA.