The report of the national advisory committee on palliative care was approved by the Government in the summer of 2001 and launched in October of that year. The report describes a comprehensive palliative care service and acts as a blueprint for its development. The Government has agreed to the implementation of its recommendations over a five to seven year period. The implementation of the report will be undertaken as part of the implementation of the national health strategy. Since September 2001 almost €11 million has been allocated to the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to begin implementing the report's recommendations.