Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she ever again intends to reply directly to a parliamentary question relating to what the Health Service Executive might refer to as the day to day running of the health services, which in fact is the total annual cost divided by 365; if she accepts that the current policy of failure to accept direct responsibility for the funding she and her Department provides has culminated in the disintegration of the level and quality of health services at every level, the complete disenchantment of the public with its quality and standards and the frustration and confusion of those within the HSE who continue to strive to provide services against this backdrop; if she will even now at this stage take the responsibility for running the health services directly back into her Department where openness, transparency and accountability should and can be provided in this House; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35162/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive with effect from 1st January 2005 and the Executive was established with its own Vote, Vote 40. The HSE is the single body responsible for meeting Ireland's health and social care needs, providing thousands of services to young and old, in hospitals, health facilities and in communities across the country. These services range from public health nurses treating older people in the community to caring for children with challenging behaviour; from educating people how to live healthier lives, to performing highly-complex surgery; from planning for major emergencies, to controlling the spread of infectious diseases.

The establishment of the HSE represented the beginning of the largest programme of change ever undertaken in the Irish public service. Prior to this our health care services were delivered through a range of different agencies, each of which was independently answerable to the Department of Health and Children. It was a complex structure that made it difficult to provide nationally consistent health services. The decision of the Government to replace all these agencies with the HSE signalled the start of a new era in Irish health care. The arrangements for providing responses on detailed operational issues reflect the responsibilities set out in the Health Act 2004 and those attaching to the fact that the HSE has been given its own Vote by the Oireachtas.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when counselling will be offered to a family (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35167/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.