Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the provisions that are currently in place to ensure the safe transfer by emergency helicopter or emergency air ambulance to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11322/07]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the provisions that are currently in place to ensure the safe transfer by emergency helicopter or emergency air ambulance to St. James's Hospital, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11324/07]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the provisions that are currently in place to ensure the safe transfer by emergency helicopter or emergency air ambulance to the Mater Hospital, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11325/07]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the introduction of the helicopter emergency medical service; the progress to date; when it is expected to come on stream; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11326/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 309, 311, 312 and 313 together.

A Service Level Agreement for the provision of air ambulance services by the Air Corps was prepared and signed in September 2005. The signatories to the agreement are the Departments of Health and Children, Defence, the Health Service Executive, the Defence Forces and the Air Corps.

The agreement sets out the range of services to be provided by the Air Corps, specifically:

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

Air Transport of patients from offshore islands to mainland hospitals where the Coast Guard service is not available.

A Steering Group comprising representation from each of the signatories to the Service Level Agreement has been established. The Group is monitoring the operation of the agreement and will amend, if necessary, the provisions of the agreement to take account of service developments, including the new fleet replacement programme currently being put in place by the Air Corps. The Air Corps introduced two new EC 135 helicopters into service in 2006 and intend to introduce a further six AB 139 helicopters into service (4 in 2007 and 2 in 2008). Each of the new helicopters has a specific air ambulance capability. The new fleet will also have a far greater flying capacity than was previously available.

The Department of Defence has advised that patients requiring transfer to St James's, Beaumont or the Mater Hospitals by air ambulance are flown to either Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnell, the Phoenix Park or Dublin Airport. They are then transported by a ground ambulance to the appropriate hospital.