I wish to share my time with Deputies Sexton, Devins, Kirk and Johnny Brady.
The Fine Gael motion calls on this Government to resource properly the Louth-Meath and Cavan-Monaghan hospital groups. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, have spoken about the comprehensive investment programme which has been put in place since 1997 in the North Eastern Health Board area under this Government. In the context of the hospital reform programme, the Tánaiste referred last night to the recommendations of the Hanly report as regards the configuration of hospital services. It should be noted that the Hanly report emphasised the need for further development of the ambulance services.
Pre-hospital emergency care is a key component in the planning and reconfiguration of hospital services. It is disappointing that some Opposition Members chose to ignore the valuable role played by ambulance personnel in the delivery of care in the north east.
It is important to outline some of the main developments that have taken place nationally and in the north east in the area of pre-hospital emergency care in recent years. These include the following: a major upgrading in training and standards; the equipping of emergency ambulances with defibrillators and the training of ambulance personnel in their use; the introduction of two person crewing; and improvements in communication equipment and control operations. Among the developments being addressed are the elimination of on-call as a means of providing emergency cover, improved fleet reliability and the roll-out of the advanced paramedic training programme
Ambulance personnel are limited in the range of medications they can administer at the scene of an illness or accident. To address this issue, the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin announced policy approval for the development of the advanced paramedic training programme. Considerable work has been done in preparing the legislative base necessary to give effect to the introduction of the programme. I am pleased to advise that the new statutory instrument amending the pre-hospital emergency care council's establishment order has recently been amended to facilitate its introduction.
Additional legislative changes are being progressed as a priority and will provide a statutory basis for the administration by ambulance personnel of treatment, such as cardiac medications, to patients. The new measures mean that patients, wherever they live, will have equitable and rapid access to a wider range of emergency services. It is intended that this expanded service will commence roll-out in 2005 following the completion of training of ambulance personnel.
Consistent with the policy agenda for pre-hospital care, a number of important developments have taken place in recent years in the north-eastern region. Staffing levels have increased from 95 in 2001 to 126 in 2004 and two new ambulance stations opened in Ardee and Dunshaughlin in 2001. A new ambulance station is expected to be operational in Virginia before the end of 2004 and sanction has been given for the development of a new ambulance station on the grounds of St. Davnet's Hospital in Monaghan at a cost of €1.8 million. All frontline ambulances are equipped with ECG monitors-defibrillators and each unit has a telemetry facility to transmit a patient's ECG to the receiving hospital before his or her arrival. More than €500,000 has been invested in information technology and communications at ambulance control in the past two years, providing integrated command and control and a computer-aided despatch system. The NEHB has invested €1.5 million on vehicle replacement over the last three years.
The level of investment and development which is taking place in the area of pre-hospital emergency care complements the investment programme in the acute hospital sector which has been outlined by the Tánaiste and the Minister of State. The ambulance service has an important role to play in the delivery of an integrated hospital service in the north east and in all the other regions. The Government will continue to focus on the development of the service and ensure that the issue of ready access to treatment remains at the centre of evolving health policy in this country.