John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Minister for Health if he has or will be introducing regulations in order that defibrillators will be available on the buses of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and private bus operators. [49811/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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While it is accepted that defibrillators should be placed in facilities where the incidence of cardiac arrest is likely to be high, this requires further assessment from a cost/health benefit perspective and also that the first responder programme can be delivered in a safe and appropriate manner. For this reason, a Health Technology Assessment is underway and this will guide how best to implement our first responder capacity including the requirement to provide defibrillators across many community settings including transport facilities. The Health Information and Quality Authority has agreed to undertake such an assessment. This will inform my subsequent decisions on the design and implementation of a national programme and the necessary legislation which my Department will draft.

The Second Stage of the Public Access to Defibrillators Bill, which sets out the requirement to provide defibrillators in a range of settings and for events which have a regular attendance in excess of 100 persons per day, was passed in the Seanad in June 2013. I have requested the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to undertake a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the practical elements of the introduction of a public access defibrillation programme and Department of Health officials have met with HIQA to discuss the procedures around a HTA. The Health Technology Assessment has now commenced and will be concluded in 2014.