Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the operation of ambulance services in the Dublin region in view of the existence of both the Health Service Executive and Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance systems; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43396/08]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 203: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason her Department continues to pay Dublin City Council in excess of €10 million per annum to operate 11 ambulances in the city of Dublin on behalf of the Health Service Executive in view of the fact that she has a HSE national ambulance service at her disposal that could operate the 999 system in Dublin for a fraction of the cost; and the reason there are two ambulance services in Dublin competing with each other who have no integrated communication system. [43531/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 203 together.

For many years Dublin City Council, through Dublin Fire Brigade, has provided the emergency ambulance service in Dublin City on behalf of the statutory health authorities. The relevant authority since 2005 is the Health Service Executive. The HSE provides mainly the non-emergency patient transport in the Dublin area under the auspices of its National Ambulance Service.

I am committed to ensuring that ambulance services throughout the country are both safe and effective. The arrangements in the Dublin area have been in place for many years. There are potential benefits to be gained from a close alignment of ambulance and fire services, as occurs in Dublin. Equally, a case can be made for applying the model that operates in the rest of the country, where ambulance services are provided separately from the fire service.

Safety is, of course, the primary concern. For this reason, work is at present being undertaken by the health and local government sectors to consider the best long-term approach to the provision of emergency ambulance services in Dublin. This includes examination of the potential for improved efficiency in the delivery of these services, to ensure that the best value for money is obtained.