ALERT: Warning set as ambulance strikes to continue with further delays up to 72 hours
If an agreement is not made, there will be a 48 hour and a 72 hour strike held across the country in coming days and weeks
The National Ambulance Service are warning people ahead of further strikes planned later this month and even into June.
Patients with less time-critical or urgent emergencies are warned to think about making their own way to hospital ahead of the upcoming strikes due to nationwide delays and priority to life-threatening cases.
Earlier this week, on Monday May 11 2026, SIPTU and Unite members of the National Ambulance Service held a 24 hour strike due to pay scales.
According to a report by RTE, around 2,000 workers at the National Ambulance Service began the 24-hour strike in a dispute over pay. Pickets were placed at ambulance bases around the country.
Delays and disruptions to service are due to occur again with additional strikes this month with the next 48 hour strike taking place on May 19 if an agreement is not reached between the unions and the HSE.
Unions have also warned, according to a report by RTE, that there will also be a 72-hour stoppage on 26 May with further strikes planned for June as well.
RTE reporter Andrew Lowth spoke to two paramedics at the strike earlier this week and the first paramedic said: "with the HSE refusing to engage with us meaningfully and without setting preconditions into looking at our pay and our structures over the last number of years and without kind of turning it into a kind of a productivity deal and trying to degenerate the service in order to pay us better what you call it and they've refused to enter into negotiation we've had no alternative but to bring it to this level on response to their actions.
"Our objective here is not to affect the public in any way whatsoever we provide a service obviously on a full-time professional basis we're well we're acutely aware that we also provide a voluntary service in the normal run of events all of this the HSE has actually curtailed not us the HSE by their actions and their inability to engage with us and negotiate with us in relation to our demands.
"It is them that have allowed this to develop to get the situation where we are".
The other paramedic at the strike told RTE: "we are seeking recognition for the changes modernization the upskilling and the additional responsibilities that we've been doing over the past 15 years and there'll be no lives at risk today.
"We are putting a 46% cover and we have a standby system that should anybody emergencies is required we have the resources to do that".
The HSE said, according to RTE, that "there are indications that the additional pressure on services today is having a significant impact, with longer than usual ambulance response times, due to the reduced crews available to respond.
"We continue to prioritise patients facing emergencies such as cardiac or respiratory arrest, and those experiencing serious trauma such as that arising from road traffic accidents."
People with less time critical or life threatening emergencies are being warned they may get to hospital quicker themselves ahead of future strikes later this month and possibly in June so they may need to make their own way to hospital.
According to RTE, the HSE has urged SIPTU and Unite to suspend the industrial action and return to the negotiating table.
Unions have said they would be willing to re-enter talks if they are held without preconditions, according to RTE.