Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, to the House.

Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. There are men and women going about their normal daily business in the midlands today who would not be with us were it not for the fantastic service provided by the Irish Air Corps, the National Ambulance Service and the AC112 air ambulance helicopter, based in Athlone, since 2012. Similarly, men and women are going about their daily business today unaware of the fact that they may one day need these services. The service is called upon on a nearly daily basis. Last year alone, it responded to 159 serious car crashes and 146 other medical emergencies, and provided 15 urgent transports of children to hospitals. The Minister of State will understand that there is a degree of concern in my home town of Athlone and the surrounding counties regarding any threat to the future of this service.

I understand the current situation and ongoing HR challenges faced by the Air Corps, particularly with regard to the recruitment and retention of pilots. I also understand that for training reasons, the Air Corps will not be in a position to accept emergency aeromedical requests by the National Ambulance Service for four days per month between now and the end of February 2020. Furthermore, I accept that the Irish Coast Guard will provide reserve cover to the National Ambulance Service for the 16 days during which the Air Corps is not accepting taskings, and that further backup from the Cork-based Irish Community Rapid Response, ICRR, helicopter has been explored.

I am not happy that we are in this situation. I have been a constant thorn in the Minister of State's side regarding funding for the Defence Forces. I accept that this training is necessary and that the cover arrangements put in place aim to provide the best service possible using all available resources. However, there is fear in the midlands, particularly in Athlone, that this is the thin end of the wedge, which might signal the winding down of this very valuable service. This fear has been stoked by certain public representatives for their own political purposes, but is nonetheless causing concern among the general public. I would like the Minister of State to allay those concerns. I ask him to address only one issue, namely, the future of this service. I do not need to hear an explanation of the current situation or the provisions put in place to address it. I have heard and understand the assurances from the Department in that regard. I am asking the Minister of State to make an unequivocal statement in this House that the service provided by the air ambulance helicopter in Athlone will not be wound down or reduced in any way and will continue to be based in Custume Barracks in Athlone.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator McFadden for raising this important matter. The emergency aeromedical support, EAS, service based in Custume Barracks in Athlone is an important service provided by the Air Corps. Notwithstanding the well-documented ongoing HR challenges in the Air Corps, particularly the recruitment and retention of pilots, the EAS service has been delivered without interruption since it was put in place by the Fine Gael-led Government in 2012. I have prioritised this service and will continue to do so into the future.

I have received military advice that the Air Corps will not be in a position to accept EAS taskings from the National Ambulance Service for four days per month for a period of four months, from November to February 2020.That is regrettable but necessary for safety and governance reasons. During this time there will be a training surge to produce a new cohort of aircraft commanders for the emergency aeromedical service, EAS. This will ensure the long-term viability of the service provided by the Air Corps.

The safety of personnel, HSE staff and patients is paramount to me and our foremost shared priority. Our focus is on returning the EAS to full capacity from the end of February 2020. During the 16 days when the Air Corps will not accept taskings, the Irish Coast Guard will provide reserve cover for the National Ambulance Service. This is in line with the Government's decision in 2015 to establish the emergency aeromedical service. The Irish Community Rapid Response, ICRR, emergency medical service has agreed to provide additional cover using a second helicopter which will be based in Roscommon on the days when the Air Corps will not be in a position to accept taskings for the EAS. The ICRR will also continue to be available in the south of the country. I am focused on returning the EAS to a full service and full capacity. A number of measures are being pursued, including the reintroduction of the service commitment scheme for pilots, the recommissioning of former Air Corps pilots and the training of junior pilots during that time.

The emergency aeromedical service provided by the Air Corps has completed more than 2,600 missions since it commenced operations in 2012. I pay tribute to the professional and effective service provided by Air Corps personnel. I acknowledge the support of the Irish Coast Guard and the ICRR during this challenging period. The shared priority is to provide the best available service using all available resources during the four days in each month when the Air Corps will not be available for EAS taskings. This interruption is regrettable but necessary, as I stated, from a safety and governance perspective. The emergency aeromedical service operated by the Air Corps will continue. It is not being wound down. The service will continue to be provided by the Air Corps.

Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I pay tribute to the Air Corps for the professional and effective service provided by it. However, it is disappointing in this day and age that we have to rely on a helicopter provided by a charity. I thank the Minister of State for his assurance that the service will continue to be provided. However, he did not mention Athlone. In 2012 when Deputy Coveney was then in the position of Minister, I lobbied hard to have the air ambulance pilot scheme remain in place in Athlone. I have been happy with and proud of the service provided since, but there was no mention of it being maintained in Custume Barracks in Athlone. Will the Minister of State assure me that it will be maintained there?

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I do not think there was any question that it would be relocated to any other location. The service will be maintained in Athlone. The ICRR helicopter is based in County Roscommon because it is a community service, while Custume Barracks is a military barracks. I hope the Senator understands the reasons we cannot have a community service helicopter operating out of a military barracks. If anyone has given her the idea that the service will be moved, I would appreciate it if she would go back to that person to say the service will continue to be based in Athlone, except for four days in November, December, January and February. It is not regrettable that we have a community service helicopter. It is happening all over Europe. It is a considerable feature in England where community and voluntary organisations provide helicopter ambulance services.I do not see why we should not be able to do that in Ireland as well.

I very much welcome the help and assistance of the Irish Community Rapid Response helicopter. It is a fabulous service in the south of the country and covers a vast region. The service has two helicopters and the helicopter provided out of Roscommon is the second helicopter. The ICRR will continue to operate in the south of the country in addition to the service it provides in Roscommon. While I am not sure exactly from where in Roscommon the service is provided, it is to be very much welcomed that the ICRR came on board. When asked, it was available and willing to assist.

I can confirm to the House that, once the training is provided over the four days per month for the four months of November, December, January and February, it will be back permanently in Custume Barracks, Athlone from 1 March onwards. The service does a fabulous job there and has saved many lives, not just in the midlands or the west, but as far down as my own constituency in County Wexford, where a very important service is provided.

I remind the House there was a lot of pressure over a long number of years to have this service but it was a Fine Gael-led Government that introduced this scheme in 2012 and put it on a permanent footing in 2015, when a memorandum was brought to Government. I want to reaffirm that commitment. While we have our challenges, this service will return to full service from 1 March 2020, apart from four days per month in November, December, January and February, when the ICRR will provide a service for those four-day periods.

Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for the clarification.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator should be very happy with the Minister of State's response.

Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I am.