Vol. 512 No. 6
205 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the special provision, if any, being made for the ambulance service run by Dublin Fire Brigade to meet the needs of the millennium; if he has satisfied himself that growth in the service is matching the growth in population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26959/99]
The provision of ambulance services in the Dublin area is the statutory responsibility of the Eastern Health Board. Dublin Corporation provides an emergency ambulance service on behalf of the Eastern Health Board from 11 locations throughout Dublin city. The identification of priorities for the development of the ambulance service in Dublin is a matter for the Eastern Health Board in the first instance and it is my Department's policy to respond to these priorities within the framework of overall policy on the development of pre-hospital and ambulance services as set out in the report of the review group on the ambulance service and cardiovascular health strategy. Recent improvements to the ambulance service in the greater Dublin area include the expansion of ambulance resources in Swords, Maynooth and Tallaght as well as the commissioning of a joint fire and ambulance control centre.
On the funding front, the funding that I am providing in 2000 for the ambulance service brings to more than £33 million the total resources provided since the report of the review group was published with well over half of that £33 million investment has taken place during my term of office. I will continue to provide additional resources for the development of the ambulance service in Dublin and elsewhere in line with national policy in this regard.
