Mayo TDs raise concerns over ambulance provision following the death of Belmullet man
The death of a Mayo man after repeated attempts to call an ambulance by his family has been described as an example of the severe crisis that currently exists in the ambulance service.
Mayo’s TDs have publicly raised the issue of the passing of Stephen Lavelle who died on January 11, 2026, after falling ill the previous day. Following multiple failed attempts to call an ambulance for the man, his family drove for more than 50 miles to bring him to Mayo University Hospital.
Mr Lavelle from Ardmore, Binghamstown, Bellmullet, and formerly of Mullaghore, Clogher, Belmullet, in north Mayo, became unwell on the night of Saturday, January 10, and was in need of ambulance transport to Mayo University Hospital.
Following repeated attempts to secure an ambulance, Mr Lavelle’s family drove him 56 miles to the hospital, performing CPR in the car along the way as his condition deteriorated.
Once Mr Lavelle arrived at Mayo University Hospital, he was ventilated and brought into the intensive care unit. Mr Lavelle, a married father of two sons, passed away on the morning of January 11, 2026 at 68 years of age.
Last week in the Daíl, Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh raised the issue with Taoiseach Micháel Martin, and called the situation “dire and unstable” as she urged a coordinated response from the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health to improve ambulance provision across the county.
Speaking today, the Sinn Féin TD said the passing of Mr Lavelle has highlighted the severe crisis that currently exists in the ambulance service in “a most harrowing way”.
“Stephen passed away after multiple failed attempts to call an ambulance, with his family forced to carry him to a car to make the 56-mile journey to Mayo University Hospital,
“Ambulance services are stretched to breaking point and the Government have known this for years. Yet, recruitment of paramedics hasn’t even scratched the surface of what’s needed,” she said.
“No family should ever have to go through what Stephen Lavelle and his family went through on that awful night.”
Fine Gael TD Keira Keogh wrote to the Minister of Health and to the HSE on December 29, 2025 highlighting her concerns over the lack of ambulances in the north Mayo area. Deputy Keogh will be meeting with the HSE next month to discuss the situation further.
Aontú Deputy Paul Lawless also confirmed today that he has written to the Minister for Health to demand “a full and transparent review of the incident" and called for “immediate action to ensure that such a tragedy cannot recur”.
“Mr Lavelle’s family endured an ordeal no family should ever face. They became, through no choice of their own, the ambulance service that never arrived,
“They performed CPR in a moving car, fought failing phone coverage, and carried the weight of fear no family should bear. This was not simply a tragic event, it was a catastrophic systemic failure,” he said.
In response to Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald raising the case in the Dáil during leaders' questions this week, Taoiseach Micháel Martin said he would be referring the case to the National Ambulance Service and the HSE for further examination.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.