Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am addressing this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney.

As the Deputy is aware, the management and delivery of health and personal social services are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. This includes responsibility for the provision of haemodialysis services for people who live in County Kilkenny. As the Deputy pointed out, the clinic to which he referred is a private clinic offering a private haemodialysis service.

The Health Service Executive is undertaking a national review of haemodialysis. It is expected that the review will be completed later this year. The executive has informed the Department that, pending the completion of the national review, it is recognised that there is a need to source additional haemodialysis capacity for patients.

Given that Deputy Hogan belongs to a party that has made a strong case for value for money, I am sure he is a strong proponent of proper procurement procedures. Under procurement law, the executive must enter into a tendering process for haemodialysis services from the private sector. I understand the executive has begun a national procurement exercise to source additional haemodialysis services throughout the country. The executive has informed the Department that the procurement exercise should be completed within two months.

It is open to any private clinic providing haemodialysis to express an interest to the executive under this procurement process. The executive will seek to source additional haemodialysis services in locations that best meet the needs of patients with a view to minimising the requirement for patients to travel excessively to avail of haemodialysis treatments.

It is envisaged that the executive will form a list of suitable providers who will be invited to tender to provide haemodialysis services when and where an identified need exists. Quality of care, value for money, location and the timeframe for service delivery will be key considerations and detailed award criteria will be set out in the tender documentation.

See this speech in context