Air ambulance in funding crisis

The charity air ambulance could be grounded in less than two weeks if it doesn’t receive funding it needs.

The Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) Air Ambulance, based outside Millstreet, needs an immediate donation of €400,000 to keep its services flying across Ireland, or it risks the grounding of its vital lifesaving air ambulance that has saved countless lives across the country.

The ICRR Air Ambulance has flown on missions more than 250 times in just five months of service.

ICRR Operations Manager Ruth Bruton said: “The success of the air ambulance has meant we’ve flown an additional 17 missions per month on average, which means increased costs to keep us flying. We’ve already helped in excess of 200 patients, their families and their communities by responding rapidly to them when they need help the most.

“These missions have been in both challenging rural locations and in towns and cities right across the country. We estimate over 600 missions could be flown in 2020 and those 600 lifesaving missions are in jeopardy without immediate funding.”

The ICRR Air Ambulance must fundraise for the provision of the helicopters, pilots, air base facilities, insurance, firefighting and other operational needs to provide the service. Other costs that the charity must receive donations for in order to pay, are VAT costs on the service, which cost the charity and its donors hundreds of thousands of euro per year.

Ms Bruton added: “The ICRR Air Ambulance could be called on to help you or your loved one next. I’m asking on behalf of the people we can save in the future, please ensure that we are there to help. You can donate now through icrr.ie or through the GoFundMe Keep the ICRR Air Ambulance Flying page set up to help us fly for longer.”

The ICRR Air Ambulance is run in partnership with the HSE National Ambulance Service, who provide the medical crew.