"A tragedy that must never be allowed to repeat itself” - Mayo TD
The death on January 11 last of Stephen Lavelle, Binghamstown, Belmullet, has cast a long and painful shadow across our community, Mayo TD Paul Lawless has stated.
He elaborated: "His final hours—marked by an ambulance delay so severe that his family were forced to drive him more than 80 kilometres to hospital—represent a failure of the most fundamental duty of the State: to protect its citizens in their hour of greatest need.
“Mr Lavelle’s family endured an ordeal no family should ever face.
They became, through no choice of their own, the ambulance service that never arrived.
"They performed CPR in a moving car, fought failing phone coverage, and carried the weight of fear no family should bear.
"This was not simply a tragic event—it was a catastrophic systemic failure.”
Deputy Lawless noted that this tragedy comes after he publicly raised serious concerns in September 2025 about the worsening staffing crisis in the National Ambulance Service.
At that time, he revealed that only 12 EMTs and 45 paramedics had been hired nationwide since 2024 despite a shortfall of over 1,000 staff, and warned that trained paramedics were being left idle on recruitment panels.
He also criticised the government’s decision to classify paramedic response vehicles under benefit‑in‑kind rules, describing it as a policy that placed tax considerations ahead of patient safety.
Deputy Lawless confirmed that he has written directly to the Minister for Health, demanding a full and transparent review of the incident and immediate action to ensure that such a tragedy cannot recur.
Deputy Lawless added: “It is often said that the measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable. If that is true, then this case should trouble the conscience of government.
"We cannot allow the people of Mayo—or any part of this country—to live with the quiet dread that an ambulance may not come when it is called.”
“The government must ensure that this never happens again. Not in Mayo, not anywhere.
"The Lavelle family deserve answers, and the public deserve assurance. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty.”