No plans to open ambulance base in West Cavan despite growing demand

There are currently no plans to open a new ambulance base in West Cavan, Fianna Fáil's Brendan Smith has been told - despite ongoing concerns about response times and growing demand.

In a reply to a Parliamentary Question submitted by Deputy Brendan Smith, the Health Service Executive confirmed that the National Ambulance Service already operates two permanent ambulance stations in the county - located in Cavan Town and Virginia.

Crews from these bases, along with units deployed from neighbouring counties, respond to emergency calls across the entire county under what the NAS describes as a “demand-driven model of dynamic ambulance deployment”.

According to the official response, this model “aligns with international best practice” and allows the service to prioritise the most serious cases requiring immediate life-saving intervention.

The reply acknowledged that “lower acuity calls will be liable to experience a longer wait for an ambulance” during particularly busy periods.

The statement further noted that this challenge has intensified in recent years due to a “continuous growth in activity volume".

The NAS says its focus remains on expanding capacity within existing infrastructure. Since 2023, it has increased its frontline workforce by 36 New Service Development posts across the Dublin North East region, which includes Cavan and Monaghan.