Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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247. To ask the Minister for Health where all automated external defibrillators, AEDS, are located; if they can be added to the national database; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11895/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Strategy Governance Implementation Group has a specific aim to implement a National Ambulance Service (NAS), national Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Registry which is mapped to the NAS dispatch system, and a supporting application for dispatching first responders to the scene of an emergency. Work is in progress on developing the AED Registry, with specific emphasis on ensuring the cyber safety of the NAS dispatch system.

A facility to register AEDs with the National Ambulance Service exists and AEDs can be registered at the following link.

The National Ambulance Service has a network of greater than 250 Community First Responder Schemes, supported by a Community Engagement Team. In the event of an OHCA a Community First Responder (CFR) receives an automated text message that directs them to the scene of any cardiac arrest that occurs in their catchment area.

The National Ambulance Service is currently increasing the number of registered AEDs and automated dispatch of CFRs.