Bernard Allen
Ceist:92 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason Ireland is the only European Union country without a dedicated helicopter emergency medical service; and the steps he has taken to address this issue. [16373/01]
Written Answers. - Air Ambulance Service
The provision of an air ambulance service for emergency cases which cannot be safely conveyed by road ambulance continues to be provided by the Air Corps and the marine search and rescue helicopter service of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
The possible introduction of a dedicated air ambulance service is being examined at present with a view to developing a policy position in the context of pre-hospital care.
The Pre-hospital Emergency Care Council PHECC at my request, is presently considering the issue, including the need for targeted research on the use of helicopter emergency medical services. I have received a submission from the PHECC on the nature and extent of the study or research which needs to be carried out in this regard. This submission is currently being examined by my Department. In addition the issue is being examined in the context of North-South co-operation by a working group on emergency planning and pre-hospital care established on foot of the Good Friday Agreement.
It is important to acknowledge that an air ambulance service is only one element of an effective emergency medical care system. Since the publication of the report of the review group on the ambulance service in 1993 approximately £45 million has been provided for the implementation of the reports recommendations with well over half this funding being provided by this Government. This has resulted in major improvements in the service including: the training of ambulance personnel; the specification and age profile of the ambulance fleet; the development of command and control centres; the opening of additional ambulance stations; and the provision of training and equipment to general practitioners in remote rural areas, on a pilot basis, to enable them to deal with emergencies in advance of the arrival of an ambulance.
I remain committed to the continued development of the pre-hospital care system identified both in the review group's findings and in the report of the cardiovascular health strategy group, Building Healthier Hearts. Proposals for the development of an air ambulance service fall to be considered in the wider context of developments in emergency medical services generally. Any initiative in this area needs to complement other pre-hospital services such as the ambulance service, first responder schemes and other emergency response schemes.