Calls for Blood Bikes to be given access to bus lanes
Blood Bikes assist the health service by transporting essential goods for patients, often while the patient is in the operating theatre.
Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill that would extend exemptions from road tolls and the right to use bus lanes, which currently apply to ambulances, to also cover Blood Bike services.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Blood Bike volunteer, Michael Noonan, said that the current legislation slows down their work.
"As it stands, gardaí have increased their high-profile policing, and they've doubled their fines in the last year on the use of bus lanes," he said.
"While our vehicles are marked, and gardaí are quite good with us in that regard, we use vehicles for palliative care which are unmarked and that just creates delays and complications."
Mr Noonan said Blood Bikes transport medication, scans and medical equipment.
"An ambulance will transfer a patient, anything to do with that patient could be transferred by a bike.
"It could be their scans, it could be their medication, it could be any form of critical information required, it could be medical equipment," he added.
"We often move stuff where people could be in theatre, and they discover that they're short something and may be required to be got from another hospital."
Mr Noonan described the work of Blood Bike volunteers as an "insurance policy for the HSE".
"When a critical call comes in, we can react instantly to their calls and get what they want, and what we do is actually quite incredible and unknown."
The Department of Transport said that it does not support the request for blood bikes to be given permission to use bus lanes.
In a statement, the Department claimed that any addition to the categories of vehicles permitted to use the lanes would inevitably reduce their efficiency for performing their original purpose.
However, Mr Noonan said that there are only six Blood Bike volunteers on duty a day in Dublin and argued that allowing for them to use bus lanes would "have no effect at all".
"There are six vehicles moving around that could lose their license within half an hour, so the bottom line is very simple: the level of vehicles that are required is minimal," he said.
Mr Noonan added: "300,000 a day go across the M50, so from that point of view, it would have no effect whatsoever; the bike doesn't hold up traffic in a bus lane, they're quite discrete."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- RTÉ News
AAI: Plan to defer alcohol health labels is disappointing
The deferral of plans to require health labelling on alcoholic drinks is very disappointing, Chairperson of Alcohol Action Ireland has said. The labels, which were due to come in to effect next year, are set to be pushed back to 2029. Public health officials have previously spoken in favour of the labelling, saying that it would reduce alcohol use and increase awareness of the associated risks. Professor Frank Murray, who is also a gastroenterologist, described alcohol as "a very harmful product", adding that it causes "many risks to people's health as well as other aspects of their lives". He said the proposed labels on alcohol products would see nutritional information on the products and would also provide health warnings around cancer, the risk of liver disease and the fact that there is no safe limit of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. "The reason this is so important is because people don't know those risks," he said. He cited a recent Health Service Executive survey that found that less than four-in-ten people understand that there is a risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption. "They're the only products you can buy in the food and beverage sector that don't have basic nutrition information", he said. He added: "Unfortunately, the risk of alcohol consumption in terms of cancer, for instance, begins at very low levels of alcohol consumption, particularly breast cancer. "Again, most people don't know that I'm afraid." Professor Murray said most people drink way above the low-risk alcohol limits, adding that even those low-risk limits in Ireland are outdated and far too high. "But if we drank to those low-risk limits, we would drink approximately one-third less alcohol than we consume currently," he said. "So people don't, I would argue, know what the risks are," he added. The Chairperson of Alcohol Action Ireland said "there is a real risk to people that people don't perceive associated with alcohol". "These labels are to do with giving information to citizens and to consumers," he said. Surveys, he said, that "these labels were considered to be relevant and acceptable". Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Murray said he thinks the industry "is driving the agenda". The cost of labels, he said, is very small, adding putting "small labels on bottles is a tiny cost to a highly, highly profitable industry". "The labels actually are small and inexpensive to implement," he added. Professor Murray said every other product that can be purchased in a supermarket "has nutritional information on it and all those other companies have had to do that". He said it is "ridiculous" that there is an exemption for products containing alcohol. He said if you look at the measures to reduce harms from alcohol, "those public health measures are very inexpensive to implement and reap a huge reward in terms of the economic gain for the country". In relation to the cost to the drinks industry, Mr Murray said there is no impact of these labels at all on exports or tariffs. "This is to do with labeling products within our own jurisdiction," he said. He said that many companies already have health warning labels complying with this legislation because companies have been anticipating it being imposed. Professor Murray said: "In terms of delay and why we're so bitterly disappointed the Public Health Alcohol Act was passed in 2018 and it's 2025. "We've already had an inordinate delay. The time to do it, I think is now and I would urge the Taoiseach and I would urge the Cabinet to reconsider, to reconsider and not to delay these labels. It's critically important."
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Sinn Féin seeking centre of excellence for endometriosis care as women 'being failed'
WOMEN WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS are being 'failed' and let down by the state, according to Sinn Féin, who are seeking that the government commit to providing a centre of excellence in order to improve care. Endometriosis is a chronic disease that sees tissue similar – but not the same as – the lining of the uterus grow in other places. It's usually found in the pelvic region, but can be found anywhere in the body. It is not a menstrual condition, but it's often triggered in girls when they begin to get periods, and it can cause intense pain that is debilitating in some cases and heavy bleeding during periods. The disease impacts an estimated one in ten women in Ireland, but the level of specialist care and assistance offered by the healthcare service here has often been criticised for being under resourced. The Journal Investigates last year revealed that more than 100 Irish women had to seek care in Romania due to long waiting lists and a lack of affordable alternatives here . Sinn Féin is now calling for the health minister to 'take this disease seriously'. Advertisement Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane and Senator Maria McCormack have drafted legislation which seeks to establish a centre of excellence in order to meet the level of capacity needed to deal with the number of cases here. Government previously committed to providing two specialist hubs and additional staff to reduce barriers to care for effected women. According to McCormack, there is currently a significant staffing deficit at the centres. 'We have spoken to many women who have attended these new centres, but they are not getting the treatment that they need,' she told The Journal , adding that there are at least 15 vacancies at one centre. 'I [spoke to] one little girl who attended one of these centres, and she was told she didn't have endometriosis. Then they went abroad for treatment, and she had quite extensive endometriosis lesions,' she added. Cullinane said that if there was one centre of excellence for care, the proper and full resources would be made available for women attending the centres and seeking treatment. 'We want, basically, every woman to have the same opportunity that they have in other European countries to gold-standard treatment,' he said. 'Far, far too long, as we've set out in our motion [tonight], women have been failed.' The Waterford TD said that the provision of 'second-best treatment' is not the fault of those currently working within the healthcare sector, but health minister Jennifer Carroll McNeill and HSE management. Related Reads Health minister announces 'see-and-treat' gynaecology services and 'advanced' endometriosis centre 'I just felt like I don't matter': Women forced to travel to Romania for endometriosis treatment 'Shame and stigma' mean women with endometriosis suffer in silence over painful sex He said that hospital staff want to improve healthcare for women, but claimed that pre-approved posts to help with this have been cut as a result of a cap on employment and cost levels in the healthcare system. 'Now they have to go back and start from scratch again,' he said. 'We'll be raising all of these issues and the need for that centre of excellence as a starting point with the Minster for Health.' A national framework for the disease is currently being developed and nearing completion, Carroll McNeill said last month . It will identify how care for women will be delivered at primary care centres, local hospitals and specialist complexes. It will be published once it is approved by doctors' union the Irish Medical Organisation, she added. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Calls for Blood Bikes to be given access to bus lanes
Blood Bike volunteers are calling for the ability to use bus lanes and be exempted from road tolls under a new bill that will be debated in the Dáil. Blood Bikes assist the health service by transporting essential goods for patients, often while the patient is in the operating theatre. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill that would extend exemptions from road tolls and the right to use bus lanes, which currently apply to ambulances, to also cover Blood Bike services. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Blood Bike volunteer, Michael Noonan, said that the current legislation slows down their work. "As it stands, gardaí have increased their high-profile policing, and they've doubled their fines in the last year on the use of bus lanes," he said. "While our vehicles are marked, and gardaí are quite good with us in that regard, we use vehicles for palliative care which are unmarked and that just creates delays and complications." Mr Noonan said Blood Bikes transport medication, scans and medical equipment. "An ambulance will transfer a patient, anything to do with that patient could be transferred by a bike. "It could be their scans, it could be their medication, it could be any form of critical information required, it could be medical equipment," he added. "We often move stuff where people could be in theatre, and they discover that they're short something and may be required to be got from another hospital." Mr Noonan described the work of Blood Bike volunteers as an "insurance policy for the HSE". "When a critical call comes in, we can react instantly to their calls and get what they want, and what we do is actually quite incredible and unknown." The Department of Transport said that it does not support the request for blood bikes to be given permission to use bus lanes. In a statement, the Department claimed that any addition to the categories of vehicles permitted to use the lanes would inevitably reduce their efficiency for performing their original purpose. However, Mr Noonan said that there are only six Blood Bike volunteers on duty a day in Dublin and argued that allowing for them to use bus lanes would "have no effect at all". "There are six vehicles moving around that could lose their license within half an hour, so the bottom line is very simple: the level of vehicles that are required is minimal," he said. Mr Noonan added: "300,000 a day go across the M50, so from that point of view, it would have no effect whatsoever; the bike doesn't hold up traffic in a bus lane, they're quite discrete."
