Emergency Care Group Calls for VAT Removal

Raheny Community First Responders, a group which provides cardiac care and other emergency medical assistance, have called for the removal of VAT on defibrillators and other equipment. 

The group has installed five emergency defibrillators in the Dublin Bay North area, including one in the Red Stables, but now say that VAT is inhibiting the group from operating as effectively as they would like. When talking to Dublin People, Coordinator Joe Mooney (pictured) says that the defibrillators his group uses cost €995 but when VAT is added on, the total rises to €1,223.85. "The VAT alone for the five of them is over €1,100 which means that without the VAT we could have had another public AED in the community." “The VAT is a massive burden on our fundraising efforts”.

Mooney calls for the removal of VAT on emergency equipment with immediate effect and also stated that he thinks grants should be provided to first responder groups to cover the cost of defibrillators. What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments below this article or on facebook.

This story first appeared on Dublin People and photo credit goes to them.