Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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140. To ask the Minister for Health his plans, or the considerations that have been taken, to make more defibrillators available on public streets and at outdoor locations, especially in busy pedestrian and transport locations; his views on providing greater access to defibrillators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15030/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Health Information & Quality Authority conducted an economic evaluation of various Automated External Defibrillators (AED) national deployment programmes in designated places, such as hospitals, places of worship, hospitality and entertainment venues, sports clubs, transport stations, retail premises and public buildings. It reported that none of the Public Access Defibrillation programmes evaluated would be considered cost-effective using conventional willingness to pay thresholds.

One of the means to help improve health outcomes in this area is through the expansion of the National First Response Network. Community first responder groups comprise this national network. These are people from local communities who are trained in basic life support and the use of defibrillators that attend a potentially life threatening emergency in their area. They are then able to provide an early intervention in situations such as heart attack or cardiac arrest by providing, among other things, resuscitation and defibrillation.

Cardiac First Responders (CFR) Ireland, which I recently launched, is the national umbrella organisation for Community First Responders Groups. CFR Ireland is supported by the National Ambulance Service, Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and the Centre for Emergency Medical Science UCD. Each group is linked to the National Ambulance Service control and despatch system, and so if there is a cardiac 999 call in an area, the on-duty CFR member gets a text from the National Ambulance Service at the same time that an ambulance is despatched with location, call details. The First Responder then goes straight to the site and administers initial care (defibrillation if required) until the National Ambulance Service and Rapid Response vehicles arrives.

This national initiative provides an opportunity to extend care for cardiac events. The prospect for a pilot on defibrillator availability in a small local area will also be explored.