Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I am responding on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank Deputy Healy for raising this matter.

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive, HSE, has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of ambulance services. As part of the reform of the health service, a national ambulance office, NAO, has recently been established under the auspices of the national hospitals office within the HSE. The office has responsibility for the provision of pre-hospital emergency care nationally and is working closely with the pre-hospital emergency care council, as the body responsible for the development of standards in pre-hospital emergency care.

The council is conducting a pilot spatial analysis study of emergency services demand and deployment options. The study is examining how pre-hospital services are delivered and highlighting possible gaps in the delivery of services. The information obtained from this analysis, which is being piloted initially in the HSE north-western area, will inform decisions on the future deployment of advanced paramedic services, standard EMT services and first responder schemes in other regions, including the HSE south-eastern area.

Ambulance services to persons resident in Carrick-on-Suir are provided from ambulance bases at Clonmel and Ardkeen. The HSE national ambulance office has advised that the information obtained from the spatial analysis study will assist in its review of how ambulance services are to be provided for the people of south Tipperary and Carrick-on-Suir. The HSE south-eastern area is also reviewing the implications for the ambulance services in the county arising from the planned amalgamation of South Tipperary General Hospital with Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel.

There have been a number of developments in the HSE south-eastern area ambulance service in recent years. Additional funding was provided to facilitate the continued phasing out of on-call in the region. The HSE south-eastern area has advised that the elimination of on-call has been completed in south Tipperary which will facilitate further improvement in response times. Additional minor capital funding was allocated to the HSE south-eastern region to assist it with its fleet and equipment replacement programme which are essential prerequisites for enhanced speedy and appropriate care.

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