Doctors campaigning for air ambulance cover have expressed disappointment that no provision has been made for this in the Price Waterhouse review of the Naval Service and Air Corps.
Two of the four medium-lift helicopters recommended by the consultants for State purchase should be equipped to provide an air ambulance service, Dr Peter Healy, a member of the Irish Medical Organisation's consultants' committee, said.
Dr Healy, who is also a member of the steering committee for the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service campaign, said the necessary infrastructure, including helipads and advance telecommunications equipment at tertiary referral hospitals, should also be funded.
International experience has shown that lives can be saved during the "golden hour" after medical emergencies, if air transport and skilled medical assistance are available.
Greece has already received 75 per cent EU funding for an air ambulance service, and the helicopter campaign, which is backed by consultants and general practitioners in some of the State's more isolated areas, believes Ireland should make a similar case to Brussels.
The Price Waterhouse review, which is not due to go before Government for at least another fortnight, recommends purchase of four medium-lift helicopters as part of a £40 million re-equipment package for the Air Corps. This would allow the defence wing to bid for medium-range search and rescue, which is currently being delivered on contract to the Government at an annual cost of £4.5 million - with no assets accruing to the State.
The Price Waterhouse review's main remit was to examine the existing roles of the Air Corps and Naval Service, including non-military functions such as search and rescue and fisheries protection. While reference is made to the air ambulance service, currently provided on request by health boards, the consultants were precluded from considering an expanded role in this context.
The existing service is provided by fixed wing Beechcraft, mainly for organ transfer, and Dauphin helicopters in rescue situations.
Mr John Lucey, of PDFORRA, expressed support yesterday for a dual role for helicopters, and called on the Government once again to release the review. Following publication of its contents in The Irish Times copies of the review have been acquired by the representative organisations. While welcoming the main thrust of the contents, Mr Lucey said the recommendations in relation to the Naval Service were only a "holding device". The review advises purchase of an eighth ship, as part of a £195 million re-equipment plan over the next decade. "That ship is already on order, the Naval Service would have to replace its fleet anyway, and we would contend that 12 ships are essential for the tasks in hand, which are wider than mere fisheries protection," Mr Lucey said.
An expenditure of 1 per cent of GDP on equipment reflected the State's failure to identify clear policies in relation the defence wings - a point which PDFORRA intends to make in its submission for the White Paper on defence, Mr Lucey said.
The Representative Association of Commissioned Officers is remaining silent on the review's contents until the official release.
