Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 7: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she is taking to increase the number of neurologists here; if her attention has been drawn to the considerable strain which the shortage of neurologists is placing on services for persons with neurological disorders as highlighted by, among others, the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9410/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes the provision of neurological services.

In April 2003, Comhairle na nOspidéal published the report of a review of neurology and neurophysiology services. The report recommended significant enhancement of such services, including increases in consultant staffing. It also recognised that aspects of other specialties and services, such as rehabilitation medicine, geriatric medicine and old age psychiatry, are related to and overlap with neurology services. The comhairle recommended that a national multidisciplinary review of rehabilitation services be undertaken. This would further inform the policy framework on the development of neurology services.

Consistent with this recommendation a draft national action plan for rehabilitation services is under consideration in my Department. The comhairle report and the work undertaken by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland through its publications, together with the rehabilitation action plan, will offer a comprehensive policy framework for the future.

Additional revenue funding has been made available in 2005 to support the development of neurology-neurophysiology services in a number of regions having regard to agreed priorities. The continuing development of the services is a matter for the HSE, having regard to available funding and other competing service priorities.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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It is a great pity that the Minister is going back to the tried and trusted formula of referring to plans, reports and strategies. We are aware of the shortfall in terms of the need for neurologists because almost two years ago Comhairle na nOspidéal produced a report which stated that the number of neurologists had to be trebled to meet the need. Will the Minister stick to the question? What progress are we making in reaching that target? We are talking about a grossly overloaded service that cannot cope and is often based in very restricted accommodation. For a long time St. James's Hospital, which is a major hospital, had only one neurologist. The trebling of the number of neurologists is the recommendation that the Minister should deal with. How far have we got in reaching that target and when will it be reached?

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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To be honest, we have not made much progress. The Comhairle na nOspidéal recommendation was to increase from 14 to 39 in the long term and from 14 to 29 in the short term. The report also recommended that the number of consultant neurophysiologist posts be increased from three to nine. This year we have provided additional funding in the different regions for services in this area. As the Deputy is aware, we must increase the number of consultant posts from 1,940 or just below 2,000 to 3,600 and we must have timeframes on the various specialties at national and regional level because there are major discrepancies in this and other areas and very long waiting periods. Best international practice suggests there should be one post per 100,000 people. It is clear that is the target that must be reached. I am not in a position to say how long it will take but I hope that when we have the full complement of staff employed in the HSE and a new chief executive officer to set down targets, we can monitor this and other areas for the recruitment of key consultants.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Will the Minister tell the House if we have a new chief executive officer? It is an issue in which many people would be interested. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Malley, kindly came to the launch of the website of the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. There is an issue about funding for that association. Will the Minister examine that?

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Yes. I believe the association has submitted an application for funding. I understand the association will celebrate its 20th anniversary in May and I hope we can be supportive of that.

I spoke last night to the chairman of the HSE who told me that the executive has narrowed the competition to three or four candidates. It is doing profile and other checks on those candidates. He hopes his board will be in a position to make a recommendation to me in about two to three weeks; I believe 10 or 12 April is the date. I will be delighted to make that announcement and I will be even more delighted when the person takes up the position. Before the Deputy asks me the question, I do not know any of the candidates, and I did not want to know. Once the best person is selected, I will be happy and I hope he or she will come here and stay.