Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 July 2014
179. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Defence the discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health to make the Emergency Aeromedical Service in Athlone, County Westmeath, permanent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31898/14]
View answerIn June 2012, following agreement between my Department and the Department of Health, a pilot Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service commenced operations. The service is operated by the Air Corps out of Custume Barracks, Athlone. An evaluation of the pilot service was undertaken last year by an inter-agency Audit and Evaluation Group and a Report submitted to the then Minister for Health for his consideration. The then Minister for Health accepted the Report’s recommendations and a Working Group, chaired by the Department of Health and comprising representatives from my Department, was established to examine options for the provision of an EAS service into the future. The Group has met on five occasions and I understand that work has commenced on producing a Report which will be presented to the Minister for Health in due course. Meanwhile, my Department has agreed to extend the Air Corps’ participation in the pilot service in order to allow time for the Working Group to complete its work.
