THIS IS THE LATEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE NEW AMBULANCE CENTRE ON DAVITT ROAD.

National Ambulance Service (NAS) Davitt Road, Drimnagh

Questions & Answers (Q&A’s)

When is the construction of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) base due for completion?

It is currently estimated that the construction of the NAS base will be completed around Easter time.

Approximately how many NAS staff will work from the ambulance base?

Initially approx. 60 staff will transfer to the new NAS base.  Staff will work on a shift basis.  It is estimated that 20 – 30 people would work per shift.

When will NAS staff start working from the ambulance base?

It is estimated that staff will start working from the ambulance base approx. 4 weeks after completion of the build.

Where will the NAS staff access the new ambulance base?

A new entrance to the NAS base will be built on Davitt Road.

What will be the operating times of the NAS base?

The NAS base will be a 24 hour service.  The majority of activity will take place between the hours of 7am and 7pm.  In the evening time, the ambulance base will operate with a skeleton staff.

When the NAS base is operational, will there be a lot of noise?

The ambulance base at Davitt Road has been designed so that the building itself acts as a screen between the ambulance activity and the rear of neighbouring houses on Carrow Road and Kilworth Road. While it is not expected that the ambulance base operations will be noisy, this screening will help to prevent any possibility of noise intrusion on houses nearby.

During the design phase for the NAS, noise surveys were undertaken to assess any impact of noise on neighbouring houses and consideration was also given to the distance between houses surrounding the site and the ambulance base.

In addition, due to the nature of the work that will be carried out at the ambulance base, noise will be limited to general day-to-day noise of any working facility. It is important to note ambulances will not normally be required to use sirens or flashing lights on approach to or departure from the ambulance base due to the nature of the work that will be carried out at the base.  Below are some more details of the type of work that will be carried out at the ambulance base.

• Ambulance staff will use this ambulance base to park vehicles, re-charge essential equipment, re-stock or clean ambulances and to use rest room facilities etc. No maintenance of ambulances will take place on site.
• Ambulances will then be ready to be sent to key points across the city where they will be stationed to respond to emergency calls and transfer work.
• Essential training of ambulance base staff will also take place the facility.

Will there be security at the NAS base?

The ambulance base will have a secure perimeter and there will also be vehicle control barriers in place.  The building will be monitored by CCTV.

Will there be any employment opportunities at the NAS base?

The current cohort of NAS staff will move to this new base along with any support staff required.  Any positions that are available at the NAS base will be advertised in the normal manner and applications will be made directly to the NAS.

Is there any update on what is happening with the rest of the Davitt Road site?

The HSE hopes to develop the rest of the site as a healthcare campus to include related healthcare clinical supports to serve a wide range of facilities within the greater Dublin area.   Any developments that may be planned will be driven and guided by healthcare service needs.  Currently there are no immediate plans for these developments at this time.

Is the new children’s hospital (NCH) going to use part of the site as a construction depot?

Planning permission was granted for the new children’s hospital (NCH) by An Bord Pleanála in April 2016.  As part of the planning permission granted, part of the Davitt Road site in Dublin 12 may be used as a temporary contractor’s compound to support the development of the new children’s hospital project at the St. James’s Hospital Campus.  Further information will be available when the main contract is awarded for the build of the new children’s hospital.

Will there be employment opportunities locally as part of the build of the new children’s hospital?

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is responsible for overseeing the building of the new children’s hospital.  The Board has developed an innovative community benefit clause which is in included in each of the construction tenders (i.e. Enabling Works, Main, Mechanical and Electrical) for the new children’s hospital. This clause specifies a strategy of targeted recruitment and training for “new entrants” i.e. people who have been 12 months unemployed, recently left school or college or are new to the construction industry.    All vacancies must be notified to the Local Employment Service (LES) in Dublin 8 and 12 and the Department of Social Protection’s Intreo Office in Cork Street.    Mechanisms will also be put in place to notify local residents and others who may be interested in availing of these opportunities.  In addition, there may be employment opportunities through the opening up of new and existing jobs within the operation of the hospital depending on workforce requirements.

Who do I contact if I have further questions during the construction of the NAS base?

Please email Sinéad McGovern at sinead.mcgovern@hse.ie or telephone Sinéad  on 01 642 4745.Davitt Rd Ambulance Centre