Seanad debates

Tuesday, 19 November 2019

Emergency Aeromedical Support Service: Statements

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, for coming to the House again. I will not rehash everything I said earlier when I sought and received assurances from him that the air ambulance service would continue to operate fully from Custume Barracks in Athlone, something I feared would not happen.

There has been reference to the number of lives saved by the air ambulance service. I referred earlier to the 159 car accidents that had occurred and 15 seriously ill children. Councillor John Dolan from Athlone was lifted by an air ambulance. If that had not happened, I believe he would not be with us today. It is a really vital service and I appreciate the Minister of State’s commitment to it. However, I cannot fail to mention the reason we have a difficulty is related to the difficulty in recruitment and retention which comes down to pay and conditions. There is no point in my rehashing the arguments because the Minister of State is as aware of them as anybody else.

The Minister of State has referred to three things that he is doing, one of which is reintroducing the service commitment scheme for pilots. The second is the recommissioning of former Air Corps pilots, while the third is providing for the training of junior pilots in the next four months. Will he elaborate a little on each of these points? I would like to know what he means by the reintroduction of the service commitment scheme for pilots. How many junior pilots are there and will the number be enough to have the ten teams that are necessary to keep the ambulance service going from Athlone?

There is no point in rehashing all of the arguments. Some people are using this issue for political gain, which I do not think is good. We should acknowledge that the Minister of State has come back to the House a second time. I appreciate the fact that he gave me a clear commitment earlier that the air ambulance service would be fully operational after 1 March and that it would stay in Custume Barracks in Athlone.

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