Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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18. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date in the examination of proposals to establish the emergency aeromedical support service on a permanent basis; and if discussions have taken place with the Department of Defence on this issue. [20762/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The EAS provides dedicated aeromedical support to the NAS in the west, specifically where land ambulance transit times would not be clinically appropriate. One third of these have involved STEMI-type heart attack patients, who need time-critical transfers to specialist primary PCI units for treatment.

The EAS Establishment Group was set up to examine how to place the EAS on a permanent footing. I have received the Group's report and, along with my colleague, the Minister for Defence, I am considering its contents.