John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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446. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to liaise with the Minister for Education and Skills on the findings, due in 2018, of the national steering group on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in order to make defibrillators more easily accessible in public places and schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7358/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A national Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Steering group was established in 2017. The purpose of this project is to improve survival rates for those who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest through the development and implementation of an out of hospital cardiac arrest strategy up to 2020. This work will support the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and Community First Responder Ireland (CFR Ireland) in their commitment to improve clinical outcomes for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA).

It is also considering how to improve Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest survival by strengthening the ‘Chain of Survival’ across Ireland. National and international evidence and experience will be assessed to see if it can be applied in Ireland.

It is anticipated that the report of the OHCA Steering group will provide advice to the HSE and the Department on the most effective ways of improving survival including the use of defibrillators in community settings and schools and on increasing CPR training. Once the findings of the Steering group have been published any relevant recommendations will be carefully considered by both Departments.

The position in relation to schools is that under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The decision to install a defibrillator is made at local school level and is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school.