Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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There seem to be defibrillators in every community. All members are politically attuned to their communities. It is our bread and butter to know the people around us and the communities we serve. However, it is difficult to identify where defibrillators are located in neighbouring villages. Mr. Collins might be able to enlighten the committee on this issue. I am aware of two ways in which one can identify the locations of AEDs. One is the Helping Hearts website, which provides a map on which one can zoom in to see where the AEDs are located. The other is to call 999 or 112 and the dispatcher can relate where there is an AED nearby. It concerns me that this is expensive kit, with some of the devices costing up to €2,000 or €2,500. The school in which I formerly taught has an AED mounted on its side gable. There is a code to open the secure box to remove the defibrillator and use it. There was a time when I knew that code off by heart but I have forgotten it. My worry is that when defibrillators are needed, people do not now where they are or the code to open the box. That is happening around Ireland. Are we lacking a database in that regard? Ms Walsh or one of her colleagues may wish to reply to that question.