Vol. 444 No. 3
116 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Health when funding will be provided for the replacement of some of the worn out ambulances still in service with the Western Health Board as requested some months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The question of ambulance replacement is being dealt with in the context of the implementation of the findings of the report of the review group on the ambulance service published in December 1993, which recommend that an efficient fleet management system, incorporating a formal vehicle replacement policy, should be developed by each Health Board.
To commence the process of development, an immediate injection of £0.5 million was provided to health boards last year with a view to improving ambulance service infrastructure. The Western Health Board received £65,000 from this fund which was used towards the purchase of cardiac defibrillators for the Board's area. I propose to continue this programme of development in 1994, and hope to be in a position to allocate funds shortly to the various health boards which will also be targeted at improving the ambulance service infrastructure.
