Ms Helen Byrne:

Most members mentioned the resources available in the national office. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin remarked on how it was not mentioned in the service plan.

In developing the service plan for 2015 the HSE was working with a limited budget and lots of requests for resources, as the committee can appreciate. We were not in a position to make money available for the office, but subsequent to publishing the service plan, we were able to allocate money. It was not mentioned in the service plan because there was no funding specifically available at the time. The HSE, however, recognised the need and sourced the funding which it made available in 2015 on a half-year basis, with a view to providing funding for the office for a full year in 2016. I acknowledge that it probably seems to be a small number of staff. We were working from a low base where there was nothing in place - there was no central registry or information available centrally. For the HSE to plan and deliver services on an ongoing basis we need information. Having the office is not what it is all about; we need to be able to provide the specialist services required, but in order to ensure this we need to have the registry in place and the information needed. It is a start, although it is not from where we want to start.

On the national centre for genetics, I know that the issue has been brought up by Senator John Crown and Deputy Billy Kelleher. There are going to be genetic services available in the children's hospital. There have been numerous international benchmarking activities. We have considered whether the full service should be located in the children's hospital. The committee has to appreciate that the ratio in genetic services between adults and children is 60%:40%. There has to be consideration given to whether the service should be placed on the site of the new children's hospital.