Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 May 1994

Vol. 443 No. 3

Written Answers. - Ambulance Service.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

93 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the current required strength of the ambulance service in each health board area; the actual number of vehicles now in service; the number currently in need of replacement; the number registered in 1993 or 1994; the number of vehicles of earlier vintage still in service; the number, if any, of 10-year-old vehicles still in use; the annual maintenance costs per vehicle; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:

	EHB	DFB	SEHB	WHB	NWHB	NEHB	MWHB	SHB	MHB
Current required strength of service (staff)	160	120	74+6 Relief+24 part-time	80	48+12 part-time	55	77	114	26
Number of vehicles now in service	57	11	36	40	28	20	24	33	22
Number of vehicles currently in need of replacement	50	4	5	14	17	12	6	8	7
The number regis- tered in 1993/1994	2	Nil	7	2	4	4	8	7	4
Number of vehicles of earlier vintage still in service	55	11	29	38	24	16	16	26	18
The number of 10 year old vehicles still in use.	26	0	2	7	0	1	0	2	2
The annual main- tenance costs per vehicle	*	£2,200	£2,500	£2,776	£2,000	£2,734	£3,000	£2,260	£1,600

*The Eastern Health Board's ambulances are part of the overall fleet of vehicles within the boards fleet (189) for which the total maintenance costs is approximately £400,000 per year.

The Eastern Health Board is responsible for the ambulance services for Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. The board provides a total ambulance service for County Wicklow and County Kildare and South-East Dublin. In the rest of Dublin, the emergency ambulance service is provided for the board by the Dublin Fire Brigade on an agency basis.