Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 335: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the financial assistance available for persons wishing to be trained (details supplied); the certification and standards authority that govern the delivery and quality of this course here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10246/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) sets educational qualifications and lays down standards for provision of ambulance services in the statutory, private and voluntary sectors.

Since its establishment in 2000, the Council has worked in particular to ensure that pre-hospital personnel in the statutory, private and voluntary sectors are appropriately trained for the roles which they carry out. It awards qualifications at three levels under the National Qualifications for Emergency Medical Technicians scheme. These levels are emergency medical technician (the minimum qualification), paramedic and advanced paramedic.

PHECC also registers all qualified pre-hospital practitioners, including those in private and voluntary services, and has implemented practice standards for practitioners, through clinical practice guidelines, and for emergency ambulances.

The National Ambulance Service College (NASC), in affiliation with University College Dublin (UCD), meets the training needs of the Health Service Executive and its National Ambulance Service. The NASC/UCD does not have a remit or resources to provide training or education for external individuals.

The Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) paramedic training is provided by its Training Institute in affiliation with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. As the DFB does not fall under the remit of my Department, I am not in a position to advise on its admission criteria.

An alternative pathway would be to seek a place on a student paramedic programme run by the two institutes recognised by PHECC. The HSE advertises such vacancies on www.publicjobs.ie.