Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 415: To ask the Minister for Defence the amount of missions in relation to the service level agreement between the Air Corps and the Health Service Executive with regards to air ambulance operations for the past twelve months or since the SLA has been signed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39398/06]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 416: To ask the Minister for Defence the breakdown of the missions in relation to the service level agreement between the Air Corps and the Health Service Executive with regards to air ambulance operations; the number of fixed wing missions to the UK; the number of inter hospital transfers within Ireland; the number of missions for organ transplant teams that have been conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39399/06]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Defence the person who currently dispatches the aircraft in relation to the service level agreement between the Air Corps and the Health Service Executive with regards to air ambulance operations. [39404/06]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Defence the person who is their medical director in relation to the service level agreement between the Air Corps and the Health Service Executive with regards to air ambulance operations. [39405/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 415, 416, 423 and 424 together.

The Department of Health and Children is responsible for policy formation in respect of pre-hospital emergency care, and the Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for the provision of ambulance services throughout the State. A Service Level Agreement between my Department and the Department of Health and Children for the provision of an Air Ambulance Service by the Air Corps was signed in September 2005. This Service Level Agreement was prepared by my Department and the Department of Health and Children in consultation with the Health Services Executive and the Defence Forces including the Air Corps, who are all signatories to the Agreement.

The Air Corps Air Ambulance Service is an emergency inter-hospital transfer service for the essential rapid transfer of patients between hospitals, encompassing inter-hospital transfer for spinal and serious injury and illness; air transport of Neonates requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland; air transport of patients requiring emergency organ transplant in the UK; air transport of Organ Harvest Teams within Ireland, and air transport of patients from offshore islands to mainland hospitals where the Coast Guard service is not available. The Air Corps does not offer a HEMS primary response capability.

Under the terms of the Service Level Agreement, the Air Corps provide aircraft and flying crews as available for the specific services to be delivered. The aircraft provided depends on the nature of the mission and the service requirement, and the final decision in this regard lies with the General Officer Commanding the Air Corps. The availability of services is dependent on the availability of a suitable aircraft, the availability of flying crews, and the suitability of weather conditions. The authorised requestor for all Air Ambulance requests is the relevant Health Services Executive Ambulance Service Emergency Medical Controller, who submits the request directly to the Air Corps.

Since the signing of the Service Level Agreement on 13 September 2005, the Air Corps has carried out a total of 96 Air Ambulance missions at the request of the HSE. Of the 96 missions undertaken, 29 were missions to the UK by fixed wing aircraft and 38 were inter-hospital transfers within Ireland. A breakdown of all missions is set out in the table below.