A CLARE Dáil Deputy has called for increased resources for the ambulance service after personnel assisted her to have her sixth child outside Kilrush Golf Club on Monday, writes Dan Danaher.
The ambulance that collected Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne didn’t even make it to University Maternity Hospital Limerick in time and the baby girl, who weighed 6.10oz was delivered in the ambulance beside Kilrush Golf Course.
Having commenced her maternity leave in January, Deputy Wynne’s due date was not until March but she instinctively suspected it would be early.
Mother and baby are doing well and the Kilrush-based Deputy was due to be discharged on Wednesday evening.
She told The Clare Champion that she is delighted with her new baby.
“I am over the moon to announce the arrival of my sixth child. Albeit an eventful labour and birth, I couldn’t be happier to be holding her in my arms.
“I am thrilled to welcome the newest member of our family into the world, and that all went well during her birth despite the fact that it wasn’t in the hospital!
“I extend deepest gratitude and thanks to the ambulance staff as their performance and service was impeccable. However, the experience has reminded me how remote many parts of Clare really are, which becomes all the more apparent when there is an emergency situation. People living in West Clare and the outer regions of the county have to wait excessive lengths of time.”
Deputy Wynne pointed out the average turnaround time of an ambulance in 2021 was double the HSE target – which for an already over-burdened fleet is having “dangerous consequences”.
“The ambulances staff and operators are all doing the best with the resources they’ve been given – but it simply isn’t enough.
“In 2021, we heard of instances where the ambulance had to come from Galway, having to travel a grand total of 175km – this is madness.
“I have been calling for increased supports for first-responder services across the Mid-West region, to meet the need of Clare people. The birth on my daughter this week as a case in point.
“The ambulance services, both land and air are much more resourced in the East – it’s very Dublin-centric. We need to have equitable access to emergency services across the island of Ireland.
The video posted by Violet Anne’s partner
“Even the Cork Community air Ambulance which services the North-West of the island receives significantly less funding than the State funded equivalent servicing the South-East.
“It is these kind if regional imbalances that have many knock on effects for many communities across the island of Ireland.”
Her partner, John Montaine posted a message on Facebook following the unexpected arrival of his new baby daughter.
“We tried to make it to the hospital to have a baby. Violet-Anne is after having a baby. It is all good, The baby is healthy and Violet-Anne is healthy. We are after having the baby outside Kilrush Golf Club. This is amazing, it is an amazing feeling, the baby is beautiful. The baby is good, mammy is good. Thank you all. It is great, it is brilliant.”
Shortly after this Facebook post, Deputy Cathal Crowe tweeted “huge congrats to my Clare Dáil colleague @Wynnetd who gave birth to her sixth baby in the back of an ambulance at Kilrush Golf Club today! Best wishes to Violet-Anne, John and family.”