Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The health committee meets on Wednesday, 5 October. Its purpose is to provide political oversight of the Government's programme to change the structure and nature of the health service to ensure it is fit for purpose in 2011 and onwards. This programme will also achieve greater efficiencies, a far more effective level and a better quality of service both for those who work on the front line and, in particular, patients. The forthcoming meeting will also be an opportunity for the sub-committee to focus on the oversight of delivering priority services for the Government.

Apart from this, over the summer I called together the Department of Health and HSE for a barnstorming session about several health issues. The committee was set up at the end of June and it will meet in October to provide a political oversight of the decisions being taken by the Minister for Health.

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