Major boost for Waterford rapid response vehicle campaign

The campaign for a rapid response vehicle for west Waterford has gathered pace, with this week's allocation of €50,000 of Clár funding.

The initiative was launched by a dedicated volunteer group who are concerned by the rise in road and farm accidents resulting in serious injuries and fatalities in Waterford.

The group aims to procure a new state-of-the-art Critical Emergency Medical Response Vehicle for the  area, to enhance emergency medical services in the region, ensuring advanced A+E emergency pre-hospital care is swiftly delivered throughout the mostly rural region.

A Rapid Response Vehicle will be able to respond to incidents like cardiac arrest, road traffic collisions, workplace and farming accidents, and much more.

Funds have already been raised from Waterford people, businesses, and communities. As part of the ongoing campaign, over 1,000 people gathered in Dungarvan last month for their 'Breakfast with the Stars' event in support of the West Waterford Rapid Response Vehicle cause.

In recent months, the campaign group submitted a Clár application, which sought €50,000 to purchase and kit out a rapid response vehicle.

Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has warmly welcomed the allocation for the West Waterford Rapid Response Vehicle Group.

Senator Cummins said: “This is great news. I want to compliment the West Waterford Rapid Response group for all of their work to date in raising a huge amount of funding for this essential service. 

"I was delighted that the group had a very positive discussion with Taoiseach Simon Harris at the Dungarvan show during the summer."

CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd Riachtanais) or Funding for Small-Scale Rural Projects is a targeted investment programme, which provides funding for small-scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that have suffered the greatest levels of population decline. 

Senator Cummins said: “The funding will support the West Waterford Rapid Response Group to purchase and kit out a new vehicle, which will be used to respond to medical emergencies across west Waterford. It is a significant allocation, which will compliment the huge fundraising drive which the group have undertaken since their launch.”