Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a dedicated HEMS service will be available throughout Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15442/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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A Service Level Agreement for the provision of air ambulance services by the Air Corps was 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; and

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 was 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.

Currently, patients requiring transfer by air ambulance to St James's, Beaumont or the Mater Hospitals are flown to Casement Aerodrome (Baldonnell), the Phoenix Park or Dublin Airport. They are then transported by a ground ambulance to the appropriate hospital.