Right To Know Ireland

A senior HSE official warned ambulance handover delays at emergency departments were a “significant patient safety risk” with systemic problems at several hospital sites.

Internal records detail how HSE deputy chief executive Damien McCallion said an ambulance stuck at an emergency department meant another patient waiting for help was at risk.

The documents also show plans for a Hospital Ambulance Liaison Supervisor service – designed to reduce handover delays – had repeatedly failed to receive permanent funding or staffing despite requests over four winters.

It said where it had been introduced on an ad hoc basis, significant improvements in getting ambulances back on the road were evident.

A briefing note said: “Out of the 34 hospitals listed, 19 hospitals showed an average improvement of 7%. The best was a 20% improvement in Cork University Hospital.”

However, repeated efforts to fully fund and resource a handover service failed, according to records released under FOI.

https://www.thestory.ie/2026/06/05/senior-hse-official-warned-ambulance-handover-delays-were-a-significant-patient-safety-risk-as-liaison-service-went-unfunded-for-four-winters/

The State’s ability to deliver billions of euros worth of transport infrastructure is being compromised by acute skills shortages, ageing workers, and a building sector dominated by small firms.

A board paper said productivity was still well below Celtic Tiger peaks and that there was poor uptake of modern methods of construction.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) document said delivery of Ireland’s complex transport projects – with more than €24 billion in planned investment over the next five years – was a “significant risk.”

It said: “Without targeted and timely interventions, Ireland’s ability to deliver on its infrastructure ambitions will be constrained by acute skills shortages, capacity bottlenecks, and rising costs.”

The paper said construction productivity was still “20 percent below pre-crash levels” and one-third lower than international benchmarks.

It said a “boom-bust dynamic” discouraged companies from investing in skills and technology while complex planning processes drove inefficiency.

https://www.thestory.ie/2026/05/15/national-transport-authority-papers-warn-skills-shortages-and-ageing-workforce-could-put-e24bn-transport-infrastructure-plan-at-risk/