Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Ó Clochartaigh for raising this issue. On behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, I am pleased to outline to the House current developments in pre-hospital services, nationally and in Connemara. Before doing so, I apologise on behalf of the Minister for his absence. On behalf of the Government, he is attending a funeral linked to the tragic events in California.

The national ambulance service, NAS, is working to ensure high quality and timely emergency pre-hospital care, using all available resources as effectively and efficiently as possible. As with any pre-hospital service, development and modernisation is a continuous process as technology and clinical standards change. A significant and ongoing reform programme has been under way in recent years and it is important to acknowledge the progress being made. The single national control system, with control centres in Dublin and Ballyshannon, is now almost fully operational and is improving control and dispatch performance.

The NAS continues to develop the intermediate care service, ICS, which transports non-emergency patients between facilities, allowing emergency vehicles to focus on emergency calls. The ICS now carries three quarters of non-emergency work. We are also moving to more efficient on-duty rostering and developing a national rostering system. The model of service delivery is changing. The NAS is moving away from the care model where ambulance services are provided only locally from a fixed ambulance base in that area. It is moving to strategic deployment, with resources used across a region, so that if demand increases in one area, other resources can provide cover as required.

Enhancements to the ambulance service in the west include the introduction earlier this year of 24/7 services in Tuam in Galway and Mulranny in Mayo. Accordingly, in addition to the existing 24/7 coverage for Leenane from Clifden ambulance station, under strategic deployment the new capacity in Tuam and Mulranny stations will provide greater coverage across north Galway and west Mayo in general, including Leenane. Also in 2015, an additional €5.4 million has been provided to improve technology and clinical audit and to address service gaps, particularly in the west. Some 50 additional paramedics are being allocated in the west this year under this process.

The emergency aeromedical support, EAS, service is further assisting service provision in the west. The EAS allows swift transfer of seriously ill or injured patients from remoter areas to the most appropriate hospital. Over 1,000 EAS missions have been completed since June 2012. Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have the highest demand for the EAS. However, as HIQA noted recently, no feasible increase in resources will address all of the access issues in remoter areas. For this reason, the NAS is working with communities to develop community first responder groups, local initiatives which provide basic life support in life-threatening situations until an emergency response can arrive. I understand that CFR groups in Connemara currently cover Spiddal, Ahascragh, Moylough, Lettermore, Maam, Leenane and Turloughmore.

There has been ongoing investment in ambulances services and in their capacity and coverage, including in the west, in the face of some of the most stringent budgetary restrictions ever seen. I assure the House, on behalf of the Minister, that the national ambulance service is as focused as possible on addressing and improving services in the west in 2015.