Increasing the presence of defibrillators would be a lifesaving move – Noone

Dublin Senator Catherine Noone has called for the expansion of defibrillators around Dublin and a greater awareness of CPR methods.

Senator Noone said: “Ireland has the highest rate of cardiac arrest fatalities before age 65, in the European Union. The first moments following a cardiac arrest are vital in terms of survival.

“I believe that expanding public access to defibrillators will have a major impact on the number of people that lose their lives in these scenarios. 

“We know that there is a direct link to increased survival and access to defibrillators, it is welcome that sports clubs, GPs and shopping centres have installed such measures but we can do more to ensure no one loses their life due to a lack of infrastructure.

“We recently saw Stoneybatter in Dublin install a defibrillator in an old phone box, this is the kind of initiative we can employ, turning disused infrastructure into a life-saving facility.

“There are many phone boxes still standing in Dublin City, they are rarely if ever used and I believe that transforming them will not only assist those in need of emergency attention but also benefit the local environment by refurbishing decaying phone boxes.”

Senator Noone added: “I believe that such a move accompanied with greater CPR awareness could make a difference to many lives in the future and prove the difference between life and death.”