Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. The top Army official has put the blame for the cutbacks in the air ambulance service such that the service will be withdrawn for 16 days this winter squarely on the Minister of State and the Taoiseach. Incentives were put in place to entice pilots to stay in the Air Corps but it is clear that they have not worked. This is not a new problem. As other Senators mentioned, it goes back to 2015. The issues of recruitment and retention in the health service and the Air Corps have been staring us in the face, but there has been no planning. We have lost much organisational experience which cannot be passed on to the younger people who may have taken over, although they are few and far between. It is disappointing that, like many other sectors, air ambulance services will be dependent on charity. The Irish Community Rapid Response does an excellent job and will step in with its helicopter.

In June 2018, my colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, asked the Minister of State about the then recent decision to grant a contract worth €7 million for night time ambulance services to a commercial company. The Minister of State acknowledged that capacity constraints within the Air Corps impacted on the services it provided, including services to the HSE. Obviously, there was a service level agreement with the HSE and the Minister of State was of the opinion it could not be met, so the service provision went to a commercial company.

In April 2018, Deputy Ó Snodaigh tabled a question asking whether there was capacity within the Air Corps to go beyond the services it was supplying. He was asking about growth and investment in the area. It is a poor reflection on the management of the Defence Forces that the Air Corps is unable to retain pilots, air traffic controllers or those who could operate the equipment or aeroplanes. When Deputy Ó Snodaigh visited Baldonnel, he saw equipment sitting in hangars at night because insufficient cover was available. In his reply, the Minister of State stated that it would not be possible for the Air Corps to deliver the requirement sought by the HSE and confirmed that his Department did not tender for the service because of a lack of substance. He stated that he had a pathway to address the issues and had made a submission regarding pilot retention to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Public Service Pay Commission. Obviously, that submission fell on deaf ears, given that we are in this situation which has recently been revealed.

What is being done to recruit, retain, attract and train pilots and the required ancillary staff, including paramedics? Is it being done with gusto or is there a shake of the head or shrug of the shoulders and an admission that we cannot do it? Is there a plan for the future? What pathway does the Minister of State propose?

The public and all present are well aware of the issues of recruitment and retention. I am particularly aware of such issues in the health service. The little that is being done falls far short of what is needed. I refer to the exodus of medics, particularly nurses, which had been predicted to occur as a result of the chaos of working in the health service. The fewer staff one works with, the less inclined one is to remain in the job, given the increase in workplace stress. The issue of the two hours which nurses work for free has not been addressed. The exodus of pilots and support staff was predicted but nothing was done. I hope the Minister of State can provide clarity and comfort to those in the Air Corps, as well as those who depend on the air ambulance service in emergency situations.