Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if parts of the country are provided with an air ambulance service; if she or the Health Service Executive has initiated pilot projects in relation to this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40358/08]

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,

Paediatric patients requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland.

In addition the Irish Coast Guard provides air ambulance inter-hospital transfers as part of its mission tasking and also provides for emergency medical evacuation from the islands around Ireland. In situations where the Coast Guard service is not available, the Air Corps will transport patients from offshore islands to mainland hospitals. Both my Department and the Health Service Executive are satisfied that the existing arrangements are working well. Neither has engaged in any pilot projects in relation to the provision of an air ambulance service.