John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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664. To ask the Minister for Health the exchequer funding if any which was provided to an organisation (details supplied) from 2020 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50271/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Funding of €1.632 million was provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the organisation referred to between April 2022 and February 2023, to support the continuation of a vital Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operated in conjunction with the National Ambulance Service in the South-West of the country. This funding was provided until February 2023 when a fully publicly-funded HEMS service for the South-West was established by the HSE.

This once-off funding was provided under a Temporary Framework approved by the European Commission in April 2022 that enabled EU member states with the flexibility to provide support during crises including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, given that the organisation referred to by the Deputy is a registered charity, my colleague the Minister for Rural and Community Development, who has overall responsibility for the charities sector, may have further information pertaining to other exchequer funding that may have been provided to the charity within the time period referred to.