NI Ambulance Service rejects claim of visa issues having impeded Creeslough response

By Mark Rainey
Published 25th Oct 2023, 19:16 BST
The scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal. Photo: Brian Lawless/PAThe scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA
The scene of an explosion at Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA
​The NI Ambulance Service has rejected a claim that some of its crews were prevented from responding to the 2022 Cresslough explosion due to cross-border visa requirements.

A spokesman for the NIAS said the claim will be “deeply upsetting” for those directly affected by the tragedy in the Co Donegal village on October 7.

Ten people were killed when a gas explosion destroyed a service station.

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Speaking during a meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday, Irish senator Emer Currie said that “not all of the paramedics responding [from Altnagelvin] had the necessary visas to cross the invisible border” and enter the Republic.

The NIAS said: “We wish to put on record that the NIAS response to Creeslough was not affected in any way due to border or visa issues.

"No NIAS staff were prevented in crossing the border for any reason and we are deeply concerned at any reports suggesting this, as such comments will be deeply upsetting to the victims and families”.

In a statement, the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly said: “We have been made aware of certain inaccuracies in the reporting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly’s recent report, Protecting the Common Travel Area in the post-Brexit era.“The report reflected claims made to the Assembly’s Committee on Sovereign Matters by individuals familiar with challenges in cross-border working. As an example of the challenges of the current situation, an anecdote given to the Committee in oral and in written evidence, relating to the attendance of paramedics at the Creeslough explosion.“In presenting the Committee’s report to the Assembly on 24 October 2023, and in her subsequent interviews, Senator Emer Currie has reflected the content of the Committee’s report.”

However, UUP MLA Alan Chambers has called on Senator Currie to “retract her false and baseless accusations”.