Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1043. To ask the Minister for Health if he will allocate funding to a service (details supplied) to ensure it can operate without the need to rely on fundraising; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10555/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) is a registered charity which provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in Munster in partnership with the National Ambulance Service (NAS). The Munster HEMS was established in 2019 following agreement on a proposal submitted by ICRR for a charity based, self-funding operation, and ICRR and the NAS continue to work collaboratively to provide this service within the terms of their agreement. Any proposal to provide exchequer funding would require detailed consideration of the service need and potential costs, and the decision would then be subject to public procurement rules.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Community and Voluntary Sector Covid-19 Stability Fund was launched in 2020 to assist community, voluntary, charitable and social enterprises that are experiencing financial difficulties due to a reduction in their fund-raising or trading income as a direct result of Covid-19. Funding through this scheme is being dispersed by the Department of Rural and Community Development.