Vol. 414 No. 10
114 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health when the review of the ambulance service nationally will be concluded; if she will make an allocation to the Southern Health Board to set up the cardiac ambulance service which is necessary for a large urban area and especially in view of the fact that Dublin has a fully equipped cardiac ambulance service for the last 11 years.
On 28 September 1991, my predecessor, Deputy O'Hanlon, announced that the Department of Health, together with the health boards, will undertake a major review of the organisation, management and co-ordination of the ambulance service. Among the main areas covered by this review will be the provision of cardiac ambulance services.
It would be intended that the recommendations of the review group in relation to the provision of these services would be taken into account by the health boards when considering any future development in this area.
It is not possible to indicate at this stage when the review group on the ambulance service will complete its deliberations.
The provision of ambulance services is a matter for each health board in the first instance. I understand that the provision of pre-hospital cardiac care, including the introduction of a cardiac ambulance service, is being actively considered by the Southern Health Board at present in the context of the development of cardiology services in general.
