Noel O'Flynn (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 544: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the All Ireland Air Ambulance Service which is located at Ballydwyer, Ballymacelligott, Tralee, County Kerry has requested assistance of her Department for approval of the voluntary ambulance service to come under the protocol of the 999 and 112 phone and channel 16 systems; if she will consider supporting the ambulance service through the Health Service Executive by providing medical staff to be part of the crew on the helicopter which will provide medical assistance to injured persons which, when operational, augment the services already provided by the road vehicle ambulance services; if her further attention has been drawn to the success of this voluntary service in the UK and other countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34067/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Booz Allen Hamilton study, jointly commissioned by the Department of Health and Children and the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on the introduction of a dedicated helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the island of Ireland, was published in April 2004. The study did not support the establishment of a HEMS for emergency responses, as data on mortality and morbidity benefits to patients transported by HEMS in the primary response role and relative to ground ambulance services was inconclusive. The study offered a supportive view of helicopter use for inter-hospital transfers, with some evidence for the use of helicopters in the aeromedical response role, in support of the land service.

In light of the report and the need to significantly enhance land ambulance services in both jurisdictions, the Departments agreed that policy for the medium-term would concentrate on the consolidation and development of land services. For the HSE, this includes:

working to unify land ambulance services into one integrated national service;

ensuring that ambulance personnel are trained to provide more complex pre-hospital care;

improving the command and control function;

organising emergency ambulance services to support the reconfiguration of the acute hospital service.

An air ambulance service is currently provided by the Air Corps through a service level agreement with the Health Service Executive. The Air Corps service provides 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 and also provides 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.

In the circumstances, therefore, there are no plans at present to pursue the introduction of alternative air ambulance services. In the event of the All-Ireland Air Ambulance Service commencing operations, the HSE would not be in a position to provide communications or manpower support or to integrate its activities into those of the public emergency ambulance services in any other way.