Dáil debates

Wednesday, 11 October 2006

10:30 am

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The PPARS project is, as we speak, providing payments for up to 30,000 employees and dealing with the HR issues of more than 70,000 employees in the health service. It was initiated by the health boards during the tenure of the rainbow Government.

On the rolling out of the IT projects, it is clear that I have introduced value for money initiatives that have ensured that we are able to assess and process those projects in a way that is more accountable than would have been the case in this instance, although there were successes apart from this one. I make those points because it is sometimes indicated by the Opposition that the projects are achieving nothing.

On the money being spent on IT, it is clear that if we want a modern health service, we need improved IT processes to measure outcomes and to learn for future policy formulation. The suggestion that we should not have IT processes is null and void.

The question was asked whether this money could be diverted to other areas of the health service where service pressures exist. The Government is applying unprecedented resources to many of those areas and yesterday it was acknowledged by one of the trade union leaders that there has been a 40% improvement in accident and emergency services since the initiative was brought forward by the Minister for Health and Children and put in place by the HSE.

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