Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013
576. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health the current position regarding the air ambulance service operating from Custume Barracks, Athlone; if the service will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40444/13]
View answerThe Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service was established as a joint 12 month pilot project between the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and the Air Corps, providing dedicated aeromedical support to the NAS in the west, specifically where land ambulance transit times would not be clinically appropriate. The pilot EAS service, based in Athlone, has been reviewed by the EAS Audit and Evaluation Group, The evaluation included an assessment of a range of data including tasking frequency, mission duration and patient transport times. I have accepted the report and an inter-service group is now being established to examine how best to implement its recommendations. In the meantime, I have agreed with my colleague, the Minister for Defence, to extend aeromedical support by the Air Corps to the EAS until December 2013, pending decisions on how best to proceed following consideration of the report’s recommendations.
