Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to recognise the ambulance service as a full member of the emergency services and provide for the same recognition for the service as the rest of the emergency services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33785/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In 1993, a review of ambulance services in Ireland, published by the then Minister for Health confirmed that the ambulance service is an emergency service, similar to An Garda Síochána and local authority fire services.

In 2006, the Government Major Emergency Management Framework confirmed that the HSE, An Garda Síochána and local authorities were to be designated as the state's principal response agencies and that emergency services delivered by each of these agencies would be designated as the principal emergency service of the state.

Today, the HSE National Ambulance Service is one of four designated emergency services in Ireland, the others being An Garda Síochána, local authority fire services, and the Irish Coast Guard.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Health when he will recognise the paramedics working in the ambulance services as a specific grade within the health services recognising their value in the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33786/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) employs in excess of 1,400 staff who are practitioners registered with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC), the professional regulator for Pre Hospital Emergency Care with the National Qualification in Emergency Medical Technology (NQEMT) at the level of competence of emergency medical technician, paramedic or advanced paramedic.

A number of grades of staff within the NAS, including Operational, Control, Education and Management personnel hold either Paramedic or Advanced Paramedic registration with PHECC. Registration as a Paramedic is not unique to any one grade and consequently the term represents a clinical level rather than an employment grade.

The principal current employment grades for operational staff in the National Ambulance Service are Emergency Medical Technician and Leading Emergency Medical Technician. The vast majority of those employed in these grades are qualified to at least Paramedic level. However, it remains the case that for a number of staff with long service, registration as a Paramedic remains a voluntary process. The Action Plan for the National Ambulance Service under the Public Service Agreement sets out a comprehensive reform agenda for this essential part of the health service. The Action Plan provides for the introduction of mandatory registration at PHECC Paramedic level or above for all staff working at EMT/LEMT grades. The possible re-titling of the employment grade to Paramedic will be considered by the HSE in that context.