Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I acknowledge that the old regional ambulance service in the Eastern Regional Health Authority was supportive of community first responder schemes that were set up in Wicklow. There were around 30 groups and nearly 500 volunteers. After the establishment of the HSE and the Task Force on Sudden Cardiac Death, however, the scheme nearly collapsed, and would have done so if it were not for the volunteering spirit of certain individuals and the community. It is a fantastic scheme, but it has received no support over the last 18 months.

A nice press release that came through my fax on 3 October gave the impression that the world and its mother were being moved to implement the recommendations of the task force, but it simply has not happened. A total of 48 recommendations were supposed to have been implemented by the end of 2006, but I do not know whether any of them have been to date. The press release mentioned that members of the SCD implementation steering group had met a number of community first responders' groups. I know the group in Wicklow has made numerous attempts to meet these officials. I ask the Minister to ensure that they meet and assist these groups, because it will be impossible to re-establish them if they collapse. The press release also mentioned that there was a template available for first responders' groups, but I have not been able to obtain this. I ask the Minister to contact the steering group and ask that it take a more proactive approach in dealing with the groups that have already been set up.

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