Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 988: To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No 217 of the 9 May 2012, if he will clarify the status of Air Ambulance Ireland with regard to him providing paramedics to be assigned from his Department to enable this organisation to provide the comprehensive service it has proposed. [27492/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Last year, I received a number of unsolicited submissions about the provision, by the private sector, of dedicated aeromedical support services in the west of Ireland. I also considered the possibility of provision from within existing state resources. The absence of data for aeromedical support in the Irish context indicated the need for a pilot project, in order to assess the type and extent of service, if any, that might be required to support the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in the west.

I am pleased to announce that, in co-operation with my colleague Alan Shatter, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, a pilot has now been put in place to gather this information and it will run for 12 months. The pilot service, which has just begun, will allow the HSE to determine how best to provide support to the NAS emergency ambulance service in the region in the longer term and how we can, realistically, improve response and transit times, and improve outcomes, for seriously ill people. In current conditions, it is prudent to maximise the use of state resources wherever possible. Accordingly, the pilot project is being operated from within existing resources. The Air Corps is providing an EC135 helicopter at Custume Barracks, Athlone, along with personnel to fly and maintain the craft. The NAS is responsible for patient care, which will be provided by Advanced Paramedics.