Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. As provided for under the Health Act 2004, as amended, my Department must write to the Health Service Executive to notify it of its allocation for 2017 not later than 21 days after the publication by the Government of the Estimates for Public Services. The legislation further provides that, on receipt of the letter of determination, the HSE has 21 days to prepare and submit its service plan for 2017 for my approval. The Health Act allows me to extend the period provided to the HSE to prepare, adopt and submit its service plan, if required. I understand that preparatory work is already under way within the HSE on the 2017 national service plan. I expect that the letter of determination will issue from my Department within the next week and that the HSE will submit its draft plan for my consideration and approval within the timeframe that I have outlined set down in the legislation.

Following the submission of the draft national service plan, the legislation provides 21 days for me to examine the proposed plan and where necessary to seek amendment to, or approve, the plan. The national service plan must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas within 21 days of its approval. Once the service plan is laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, the HSE will ensure it is published at the earliest possible time.

The programme for a partnership Government sets out our intention to work with the Oireachtas to sustain annual increases in the health budget. Expenditure will be based on multi-year budgeting supported by a five-year health service plan based on realistic and verifiable projections. The funding increase of €959 million provided to the HSE since this Government came into office, and the enhanced performance and accountability framework introduced by the HSE, provide an important basis for planning multi-annual health expenditure and the operation of the health services within the limits determined by the Oireachtas, which will be key to the sustainability of this approach.

As the Deputy will be aware, the recently established all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, in which the Deputy is involved, is undertaking significant work aimed at developing a cross-party consensus on a ten-year vision for the health service with an emphasis on quality of patient care, supported by strong managerial and organisational accountability. It is my view that the HSE should take account of the work of the committee when developing its five-year plan. It is vital that any recommendations are considered in the context of multi-year budgeting and extended service plan timeframes. The Deputy will also be aware that the committee is required to present a final report to the Dáil by 23 January 2017. Five year budgeting is the way we need to go, and a five year service plan is certainly the way we need to go, but I wanted it to be informed by that committee's work.

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