The lives of patients are being put at risk because of "improvements works" at a busy national ambulance station, angry paramedics claim.
The Drogheda Ambulance Station has become a building site and is in breach of health and safety rules, they allege.
Furious staff say it is affecting their ability to respond to 999 calls because of delays getting in and out of the Station at the rear of the Drogheda Cottage Hospital, Co Louth but they also have been unable to properly refresh their life saving equipment in their three vehicles.
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The station houses two ambulances during the day and one at night seven days a week.
The team cover emergency calls from as far away as Cavan to O'Connell Street in Dublin.
The issue is now being raised with the HSE by their union.
One staff member said: " Our station is run down and should have been replaced by a new building years ago.
"The HSE has decided to do improvement works instead and turned it into a building site.
"We should have been moved to an alternative temporary station while the construction work is ongoing but management decided we have to stay where we are and to continue doing our jobs.
"We fear lives are now at risk because it is difficult getting in and out with all the vans and building equipment and we are now able to properly refresh all our medical equipment which has to be functioning at 100pc all the time.
"This is all causing us precious time - and time saves lives.
"We are all very annoyed because we were not consulted and just told to get on with it.
"The situation we have been placed in is just typical of HSE management who have no regard for our day to day working conditions.
"Drogheda has been crying out for a new ambulance station for years and that is what we need, not short term improvement work.
"This is one of the busiest ambulance stations in the country with Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital just a few minutes away over the road."
The HSE has been contacted for comment on this story.
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