Labour Court ballot results

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The votes in the ballot on the Labour Court Recommendation (LCR 23254) have been counted. While we await an official announcement, it appears the proposal has been accepted, almost unanimously, by staff.

We want to thank every member of staff who took the time to engage, ask questions, challenge proposals and, most importantly, vote. Regardless of how individuals voted, one thing is beyond dispute: this process has changed our profession.

Not long ago, staff were repeatedly told that previous proposals were the best that could be achieved, that there would be no better deal, and that they were “the only show in town”. Many of us knew our profession deserved better. That is why the Irish Society of Paramedicine (ISP) was formed.

The ISP was created with one simple aim: to give pre-hospital practitioners a collective, independent voice. You, the members, are the ISP. Thanks to your support, trust, and engagement we have seen that there is strength in a united workforce. Together, without a seat at the negotiating table, we united all the NAS clinical grades behind one common goal: fair representation and a better future for our profession.

We challenged the status quo, asked difficult questions, and gathered evidence directly from frontline staff to ensure concerns could no longer be ignored. We fought for fair and modern representation through the Irish Ambulance Representative Council (IARC) and demanded that the voices of frontline clinicians were heard. The conversation changed because staff stood together.

The agreement that emerged is significantly stronger than the proposals that came before it; that did not happen by chance. Staff refused to accept that “good enough” was the limit of ambition for our profession. Frontline practitioners engaged, stood together, and made it impossible for those voices to be ignored. This was, and never will be, never about one committee, one union or one individual. It was about the profession standing together.

While formal negotiations were carried out through the recognised industrial relations structures, the strength of this agreement reflects the collective voice of the workforce. The ISP is proud to have helped bring that voice together and ensure it was heard.

Our work is far from over. The challenges facing pre-hospital care remain. We need meaningful engagement with staff, greater accountability, modern representation, investment in clinical practice, and leadership that genuinely listens to those delivering care every day.

This process has shown that there is a place for an independent professional body that listens first, represents fairly, and keeps staff informed. The ISP will continue to work constructively with all stakeholders while always putting frontline staff, the profession, and patient care first.

Today should remind us of one thing above all else: when ambulance staff stand together, we are impossible to ignore. We have proven that our profession has a voice, and that voice is here to stay.

Thank you to every colleague who supported, challenged, contributed and stood alongside us throughout this journey. Together, we helped shape the future of paramedicine in Ireland. We changed the conversation

Irish Society of Paramedicine

Advocating for staff. Supporting patient care. Strengthening the profession.