Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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500. To ask the Minister for Health when the review of the operation of the aeromedical service will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39369/13]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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526. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for the development of the air ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39370/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 526 together.

The Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) was a joint 12 month pilot project between the National ambulance Service (NAS) and the Air Corps, providing dedicated aeromedical support to the NAS in the west, specifically where land ambulance transit times would not be clinically appropriate. The pilot emergency aeromedical support service, based in Athlone, has been reviewed by the EAS Audit and Evaluation Group. The evaluation included an assessment of a range of data including tasking frequency, mission duration and patient transport times. A report was submitted to the Minister on 5th July. The Minister has accepted the report and an inter-service group is now being established to examine how best to implement the report's recommendations. The Ministers for Health and Defence have agreed to extend aeromedical support by the Air Corps to the EAS until December 2013, pending decisions on how best to proceed following consideration of the report’s recommendations.