Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

It was agreed in the circumstances of the health reform programme and the demands associated with its implementation, that further value for money reviews would not be initiated until 2006. Two reviews that were scheduled to take place in 2002 on the accident and emergency departments and on the GMS were effectively overtaken by the extensive reviews undertaken in the context of the health reform strategy. Three large-scale reviews will be completed in the 2006-08 round, covering total estimated expenditure of €1.263 billion. Two of these reviews were scheduled for completion in 2007 and the third review is listed for 2008. An equal opportunities child care programme review was completed and published in 2007 while the review of allocation and utilisation of funds for acute hospitals is at quality assessment stage. The review of the mental health service scheduled for 2008 is at a drafting stage.

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