Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 24: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to up-skill ambulance staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8322/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, PHECC, is responsible for the development of professional and performance standards for the ambulance services and for the accreditation of institutions providing training for ambulance personnel.

The council conducts national examinations to determine if individuals have achieved the emergency medical technician-paramedic standard suitable for the awarding of the national qualification in emergency medical technology, NQEMT. It also has an assessment process for recognising equivalent qualifications obtained within and outside the State. Almost 2,000 individuals are on its database as having achieved this standard.

My Department is advised by the council that the NQEMT exceeds the emergency medical technician standards that apply in the UK, North America and Australasia.

The most significant development in the ambulance sector for many years is the roll-out of the advanced paramedic training programme. The National Ambulance Training School, which operates under the auspices of the Health Service Executive, in conjunction with University College Dublin, is providing training for advanced paramedic candidates on behalf of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.

Currently, emergency medical technicians can administer four drugs to treat pain, chest pain and low blood sugar levels. The programme will ensure that trained personnel can administer a range of additional medications — 19 — which include, for example, cardiac medications.

The NATS trained 36 advanced paramedics in 2005 and hopes to train a further 48 in the current year. It is envisaged that initial operational deployment of the service will commence during 2006.

My Department has allocated funding to the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council each year since 2004 to facilitate the rolling out of the training element of the programme.

The council has also recently established a professional register for pre-hospital emergency care practitioners. The register is similar to the registers already in use for other health care professionals. It is designed to ensure that everyone on the register operates under the standards and guidelines laid down by the council, that they have the skill and competency required to operate at a designated level, that they maintain their skill levels and participate in continuous professional development.