Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in regard to provision and availability of an air-ambulance service throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22473/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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An air ambulance service is provided by the Air Corps on the basis of a Service Level Agreement prepared by the Departments of Defence and Health and Children in consultation with the Health Service Executive, the Defence Forces and the Air Corps, all of which are signatories to it. This arrangement has operated successfully for a number of years and was renewed in November 2007 to take account of the air ambulance capabilities of new aircraft acquired by the Air Corps.

The air ambulance service is provided by the Air Corps for the following categories:

Inter-hospital transfer of patients with spinal or other serious injury or illness,

Neonates requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland,

Patients requiring specialised emergency treatment in the UK,

Organ retrieval teams within Ireland,

Patients from offshore islands to mainland hospitals where the Coast Guard service is not available,

Paediatric patients requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland.

The Service Level Agreement provides that all other circumstances where immediate medical intervention is required will be considered by the Department of Defence, on a case by case basis, on the application of the HSE.