Mr. Phelim Quinn:

As regards the issue of clarity on the status of a licence provider, we currently have a fledgling system of organisation of our hospitals and hospital groups, which aims to ensure a determination of the legal status of either the hospital group and-or the hospital. It is concerned with the identification of the licensed entity.

As regards the resources required by HIQA in respect of undertaking a new licensing function, it would be a large and complex sector. Front-line inspection activity would not be the only requirement. Deputy Durkan discussed statutory notifications and reporting. All regulation is reliant on information and intelligence. We need information in order to derive risk profiles from across the sector. It is not just information that we collect at the point of inspection but, also, that which we receive by way of statutory notification, complaints and unsolicited information from the public. Although we absolutely need resources in respect of the management and front-line assessment of services, we will also need technical and administrative support to help us in the receipt, risk assessment and administration of large pieces of information. Over the past year we have presented an indicative workforce plan based on the licensing system to the Department as well as other functions that have been assigned to HIQA into the coming months and years and we will continue to work with the Department in refining that workforce plan.