Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health the reason, on a number of occasions recently, there was no patient transfer ambulances available in repsect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare, to take the person to surgical clinic appointments in the Mid Western hospital [16966/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Patient transport is the responsibility of the HSE. However, people attending outpatient and hospital appointments are, in general, expected to make their own travel arrangements, using private or scheduled public transport. The exceptions are for dialysis, cancer (radiotherapy and chemotherapy) and post-operative transplant patients, where transport may be provided. In these cases, the patient's appointment or treatment should be directly related to the treatment. Transport may also be provided where, in the clinician's view, the patient would be unable to make the journey without clinical assistance or where the patient must be transported on a stretcher.

Following implementation of the HSE's non-ambulance patient transport policy, responsibility for the arrangement and provision of non-ambulance transport has moved from the HSE National Ambulance Service to local health offices in each region. For non-emergency transfers of patients between hospitals, where these transfers are stretcher-based or otherwise clinically indicated, the new intermediate care service (ICS), is being progressively rolled out. The ICS currently serves Cavan, Castleblayney, South County Dublin, Letterkenny, Sligo, Galway, Roscommon, Limerick, Mallow and Bantry. Supported by the National Service Plan, it is expected to be expanded in 2013, including Cork and Tralee. In addition to the ICS, the HSE has a framework agreement with private providers for the provision of non-emergency transfers. In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.