Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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1185. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to meet with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to discuss a memorandum of understanding between the Health Service Executive and local authorities in addition to the financial resources that would be required to implement these supports across the State in respect of utilising the services of fire-fighters, employed full-time or on a part time retainer in their capacity as trained emergency first responders as a back up to the ambulance service. [27213/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the Fire Services National Oversight & Implementation Group, which consists of fire service management and staff representatives, is exploring whether it is possible to support the National Ambulance Service, through the utilisation of fire-fighters in their capacity as trained emergency first responders. Any proposal emerging from these discussions will be considered in the first instance by the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, which comes under the remit of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

The HSE has also established an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Steering Group to develop a strategy to improve out of hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in Ireland. The Steering Group comprises a range of Government departments, ambulance providers, professional bodies, patient groups and voluntary groups. Fire services are represented on this Steering Group and will be key to identify what role the fire services could play in improving cardiac arrest outcomes, alongside other providers.

I look forward to being kept apprised of the outcome of these discussions.