Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Senator Feighan for raising this matter and I am happy to have the opportunity to respond.

The question of the provision of health centres is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. The role of the Department of Health and Children in regard to capital is to monitor and evaluate the executive's capital programme overall and to ensure that the programme, under the multi-annual capital investment framework, is in line with service priorities and policy objectives.

The approval of the capital programme of the executive is the responsibility of the Tánaiste. The HSE has informed the Department that a priority list for health centre developments in County Roscommon has been drawn up and that, following consideration of the populations to be served and the staff to be accommodated in each location, Keadue has been placed fourth on that list.

The HSE is currently examining all such proposals from around the country in the context of available capital funding for 2006 and future years. It is therefore a matter for the executive to progress this particular proposal in the context of its overall capital programme.

The national strategy, Primary Care: A New Direction, is the roadmap for the future development of primary care services in Ireland, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. Up to 95% of people's health care and social services needs can be met in a primary care setting.

At the heart of the strategy is the aim of developing services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multidisciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, therapists, health care assistants, home helps and others. The strategy is also about the reorientation of existing resources to develop new ways for clinicians and other professionals to work together to provide more accessible primary care services to people in their own communities.

In order to support the further development of primary care services in 2006, additional revenue funding of €16 million has been provided. Of this, €10 million has been earmarked for the development of primary care teams. The objective is to establish between 75 and 100 primary care teams to include 300 additional frontline posts. The HSE has indicated that funding will be targeted to provide the potential for each local health office to establish and enhance up to three primary care teams.

I understand each local health office will identify local opportunities in partnership with general practitioners and other stakeholders. The focus will be on creating a critical mass of primary care professionals — GPs and their support staff, nursing and other professional staff — who will work within a primary care team model in line with the national strategy. This approach is a very effective way of harnessing the significant existing capacity in our community services, and supplementing this important resource with new additional staff. I am sure the Senator will welcome this investment.