Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order, 2000

• Jurisdiction: Ireland
• Citation: IR SI 109/2000

The Minister for Health and Children, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by sections 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 of the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961 (No. 27 of 1961), as amended by section 22 of the Health (Amendment) (No. 3) Act, 1996 (No. 32 of 1996) and as adapted by the Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 1997 ( S.I. No. 308 of 1997 ), hereby makes the following Order:

1. This Order may be cited as the Pre - Hospital Emergency Care Council (Establishment) Order, 2000.

2. In this Order:

“the Chairperson” means the Chairperson for the time being of the Council;

“the Council” means the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council established by this Order;

“emergency medical technician” means a holder of the N.Q.E.M.T. or a holder of a non-national qualification who has received a letter of accreditation;

“the establishment day” means the 10th day of April, 2000;

“examination” means an examination conducted by the Council under Article 4 (b) of this Order;

“fund”means the grant or grants paid to the Council by the Minister;

“health board” means a health board established under the Health Act, 1970 (No. 1 of 1970);

“the Minister” means the Minister for Health and Children;

“non-national qualification” means a professional qualification in pre-hospital emergency care obtained outside the State which is recognised by the Council under Article 4 (d) of this Order as being equivalent to the N.Q.E.M.T.;

“N.Q.E.M.T.” means the National Qualification in Emergency Medical Technology awarded by the Council under Article 4 (c) of this Order and “national qualification” shall be constructed accordingly;

“officer” means an officer of the Council;

“recognised course” means a course of education and training in pre-hospital emergency care, the content of which has been approved of under Article 4 (h) of this Order;

“recognised institution” means an institution for the education and training of emergency medical technicians recognised by the Council under Article 4 (a) of this Order;

“registered nurse” has the meaning it has in the An Board Altranais (First Election of Members) Rules, 1985 ( S.I. No. 439 of 1985 );

“registered medical practitioner” means a person registered in the General Register of Medical Practitioners established under section 26 of the Medical Practitioners Act. 1978 (No. 4 of 1978).

3. (1) A body to be known as the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council is hereby established to perform the functions conferred on it by this Order.

(2) The Council shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a seal and with the power to sue and be used in its corporate name and to acquire, hold and dispose of land.

(3) All courts shall take judicial notice of the seal of the Council so established and every document purporting to be an instrument made by the Council and to be sealed with its seal (purporting to be authenticated in the manner provided for in this Order) shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such instrument without further proof, unless the contrary is shown.

4. The functions of the Council shall be to-

(a) recognise, in accordance with the rules made by the Council, institutions for the education and training of emergency medical technicians;

(b) conduct examinations leading to the award of the N.Q.E.M.T. at such levels of competence as may, with the consent of the Minister, be determined by the Council;

(c) award the N.Q.E.M.T. to such persons as have completed a recognised course in a recognised institution and have passed the relevant examination conducted by the Council pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Article;

(d) recognise the equivalence of professional qualifications in pre-hospital emergency care obtained outside the State;

(e) upon request, advise the Minister, health boards, other Government Departments, public sector employers and other employers of recognised courses;

(f) advise the Minister of the standards which should inform the education and training of emergency medical technicians in the State;

(g) advise the Minister of the specific content of recognised courses;

(h) in consultation with recognised institutions providing, or institutions proposing to provide at any time in the future, education and training in pre-hospital emergency care, approve of the content of courses for such education and training;

(i) assess from time to time, as occasion may require, but in any event not less than once in every three years-

(i) the suitability of the education and training in pre-hospital emergency care provided by an institution recognised by the Council for such purpose,

(ii) the standards of theoretical and practical knowledge required for qualifications in pre-hospital emergency care,

(j) maintain, in accordance with the rules made by the Council, a record of holders of the N.Q.E.M.T.;

(k) issue letters of accreditation to the holders of non-national qualifications;

(l) maintain, in accordance with the rules made by the Council, a record of holders of non-national qualifications;

(m) engage in research into pre-hospital emergency care, especially in regard to emerging technology and the education and training of emergency medical technicians including the formulation of experimental curricula and the evaluation of existing courses and assessment and examination procedures;

(n) subject to any data protection legislation in force, maintain statistical records and make such records available for research and planning, including manpower planning purposes;

(o) make recommendations to the Minister on standard operational procedures and protocols for pre-hospital emergency care;

(p) undertake such other appropriate tasks and functions as may, from time to time, be assigned to the Council by the Minister.

5. (1) The membership of the Council shall consist of not more than seventeen persons who shall be appointed by the Minister as follows-

(a) one shall be a person appointed on the nomination of a body recognised by the Minister as being representative of emergency medical technicians,

(b) three shall be persons appointed on the nomination of a trade union which, in the opinion of the Minister, is representative of the majority of emergency medical technicians,

(c) two shall be persons appointed from recognised institutions on the nomination of the heads of those institutions,

(d) three shall be persons representative of the management of health boards,

(e) three shall be registered medical practitioners with an interest and expertise in pre-hospital emergency care,

(f) one shall be a registered nurse with an interest and expertise in pre-hospital emergency care,

(g) one shall be a person representative of the interests of the general public, and

(h) three shall be persons with a special interest or expertise in pre-hospital emergency care,

(2) The Chairperson of the Council shall be appointed by the Minister from among the membership of that Council.

(3) Members of the Council may be paid travelling and subsistence allowances in accordance with such scales as may from time to time be approved of by the Minister with the consent of the Minister for Finance.

6. (a) Save as provided for in paragraph (b) of this article, the members of the Council shall hold office for a period of four years.

(b) At the first meeting of the Council under this Order the appointed members. excluding the chairperson, shall draw lots as to which members shall serve for three years and which members shall serve for four years. A members shall hold office in the case of the first Council appointed under this Order, for such period as is determined at the first meeting of the Council.

(c) No person shall hold office as a member...