How to contact emergency services in Ireland
- Published on: 14 November 2020
- Last updated on: 11 April 2025
There are a few ways to contact emergency services in Ireland, whether you are on land or water.
112
Call 112 in a medical emergency when someone is:
- seriously ill
- injured
- at risk of dying
When to call 112 for your child
Call 112 and ask for an ambulance if your child:
- is unconscious, especially if they had a recent fall or a head injury
- is not breathing or turning blue around the lips or face
- is choking - use first aid steps for choking while waiting for the ambulance to arrive
- has taken medication, poison or a chemical substance and is now difficult to wake up
- is having a severe allergic reaction. This could include noisy breathing or difficulty breathing
- has a large cut and you are unable to stop the bleeding
- has a seizure for the first time
- has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder and has a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or has one seizure after another
How to call 112
112 is free of charge to call.
Call the emergency services by dialling 112 from a mobile or fixed phone line.
112 also works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.
Watch a video about how to make an emergency call
Speech or hearing impairment
The Emergency SMS/Text Service can be used to contact the Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) for help by sending an SMS/Text message to 112. It can be used by anyone who is not able to make a voice call due to a speech or hearing impairment or other situations where a voice call might not be possible.
Further information can be found here: Emergency Text Service - ECAS 112.IE
What happens when you call 112
Once you're connected to an emergency service operator, they will direct the call to the appropriate emergency service.
This could be:
- ambulance
- Gardaí
- fire brigade
- coast guard
Calling an ambulance
The information you need
Once connected to the National Ambulance Service, you will need to know:
- the phone number you are calling from (so that if you get disconnected, they can call you back)
- the address or the location of where you are
- your Eircode, if possible
- what has happened
Stay on the phone
Once the ambulance service has your location, they will send an ambulance immediately. The emergency call taker will continue to ask you questions. This does not delay the ambulance getting to you.
The emergency call taker will ask you more questions about the patient and their condition. You need to stay on the phone so they can give you advice on what to do next while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
They may give you instructions over the phone to help the patient. Please listen carefully to their instructions.
Tell them if the patient's condition changes in any way. The emergency call taker will stay on the line as long as possible.
How you can help the ambulance crew
There are a few things you can do to help the ambulance service.
For example, stay calm and:
- if you're in the street, stay with the patient until help arrives
- call the ambulance service back if the patient's condition changes
- call the ambulance service back if your location changes
- if you're calling from home or work, ask someone to open the door and direct the paramedics to where they're needed
- lock away family pets
- if you can, write down the patient's GP details and collect any medication they're taking
- if you can, tell the paramedics about any allergies the patient has
Non-life-threatening emergencies
If it's not a life-threatening emergency and urgent medical attention isn't needed, consider other options before calling 112.
For example, consider:
- visiting or calling your GP
- going to your local injury unit
- making your own way to your local ED - arriving in an ambulance doesn't mean you'll be seen any quicker
- self-care at home
- talking to a pharmacist
Choosing the best service for your needs will ensure the ambulance service can respond to people who need help the most.
116
Numbers beginning with ‘116’ have been reserved in national numbering plans for “Harmonised Services of Social Value”. Such services are available in several EU countries.
In Ireland, four of the five 116 numbers are currently operational.
116 000 - Missing children Hotline
The Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) provides a 116000 missing children hotline.
116 111 - Child helplines
The ISPCC also provides a 116111 children's helpline.
116 006 - Victims of crime
The Crime Victims Helpline operates a 116006 helpline for victims of crime. Ireland is one of only two EU countries with a helpline for victims of crime.
116 123 - Emotional support helpline
This helpline is operated by The Samaritans since March 2014.
999
Call 999 in a medical emergency when someone is:
- seriously ill
- injured
- at risk of dying
When to call 999 for your child
Call 999 and ask for an ambulance if your child:
- is unconscious, especially if they had a recent fall or a head injury
- is not breathing or turning blue around the lips or face
- is choking - use first aid steps for choking while waiting for the ambulance to arrive
- has taken medication, poison or a chemical substance and is now difficult to wake up
- is having a severe allergic reaction. This could include noisy breathing or difficulty breathing
- has a large cut and you are unable to stop the bleeding
- has a seizure for the first time
- has been diagnosed with a seizure disorder and has a seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or has one seizure after another
How to call 999
999 is free of charge to call.
Call the emergency services by dialling 999 from a mobile or fixed phone line.
999 also works in any EU country and from any phone, free of charge.
Watch a video about how to make an emergency call
What happens when you call 999
Once you're connected to an emergency service operator, they will direct the call to the appropriate emergency service.
This could be:
- ambulance
- Gardaí
- fire brigade
- coast guard
Calling an ambulance
The information you need
Once connected to the National Ambulance Service, you will need to know:
- the phone number you are calling from (so that if you get disconnected, they can call you back)
- the address or the location of where you are
- your Eircode, if possible
- what has happened
Stay on the phone
Once the ambulance service has your location, they will send an ambulance immediately. The emergency call taker will continue to ask you questions. This does not delay the ambulance getting to you.
The emergency call taker will ask you more questions about the patient and their condition. You need to stay on the phone so they can give you advice on what to do next while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
They may give you instructions over the phone to help the patient. Please listen carefully to their instructions.
Tell them if the patient's condition changes in any way. The emergency call taker will stay on the line as long as possible.
How you can help the ambulance crew
There are a few things you can do to help the ambulance service.
For example, stay calm and:
- if you're in the street, stay with the patient until help arrives
- call the ambulance service back if the patient's condition changes
- call the ambulance service back if your location changes
- if you're calling from home or work, ask someone to open the door and direct the paramedics to where they're needed
- lock away family pets
- if you can, write down the patient's GP details and collect any medication they're taking
- if you can, tell the paramedics about any allergies the patient has
Non-life-threatening emergencies
If it's not a life-threatening emergency and urgent medical attention isn't needed, consider other options before calling 999.
For example, consider:
- visiting or calling your GP
- going to your local injury unit
- making your own way to your local ED - arriving in an ambulance doesn't mean you'll be seen any quicker
- self-care at home
- talking to a pharmacist
Choosing the best service for your needs will ensure the ambulance service can respond to people who need help the most.
VHF Channel 16
If your vessel is equipped with a radio - then use channel 16 and tell the operator your location. If you do not have a radio, use your phone to call 112 or 999 and ask for Coast Guard.
Feedback
