Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive, HSE, must prepare and submit a national service plan, NSP, each year in accordance with any directions from the Minister. The NSP must, among other things, indicate the type and volume of health and personal social services to be provided. The NSP for 2008 was submitted to me on 19 November 2007 by the chairman of the HSE board. In accordance with the Health Act 2004, I approved the plan on 10 December 2007 and it has been published.

In my letter of approval, I requested the board to pay particular attention in 2008 to the absolute necessity for the HSE to operate within the limits of its voted allocation in delivering, at minimum, the levels of service activity specified in the 2008 service plan. This means that the voted allocation, approved employment levels and service activities, within the HSE itself and in HSE funded agencies such as the major voluntary hospitals, must all be actively planned and prudently managed from the very start of the year.

Considerable additional funds, over and above those provided in the Estimates, are being made available to the HSE in 2008 as a result of the December budget day announcements. These additional funds are being provided for the further development of specific services in 2008, most notably services for older people, cancer services and services for persons with disabilities. At my request, the HSE has provided me with an addendum to the national service plan, detailing these additional services and enhancements. I approved this addendum on 20 February and it too is being published.

The HSE has been allocated almost €15 billion gross for 2008 in total current and capital expenditure, an increase of over €1.1 billion, or almost 9% when provision for the long-stay repayments scheme is excluded. I have emphasised to the HSE the need to secure greater value for money and cost effectiveness from its core funding. This is essential if the HSE is to meet its obligation to provide the best possible services within the funding made available to it.

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