Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 217: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the arrangements which exist to have a doctor on call at a medical centre (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24079/04]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

General medical services contract holding GPs are obliged to register the hours which they will be available for surgery and domicilary consultation during normal hours with the local health board. Outside of these times, they are further obliged to make appropriate arrangements for contact with them or a deputy for their patients. All issues relating to doctors on call at medical centres are a matter for the relevant health board-authority. Accordingly, I have forwarded the Deputy's query to the chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority for his investigation and direct reply to the Deputy.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 218: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the funding that she will sanction for the improvement of essential services in Sligo and Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24110/04]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The provision of health services in Counties Sligo and Leitrim is, in the first instance, the responsibility of the North Western Health Board. Additional revenue funding for the development of services for older people has increased significantly from €12.7 million in 1997 to an additional €111.407 million in 2003. This year €9.5 million in additional revenue funding was allocated to services for older people. This funding has been used for a variety of services including the nursing home subvention scheme, personal care packages, the home help service, the elder abuse programme and support to voluntary organisations. The housing aid scheme for the elderly is operated by the health boards and Eastern Regional Health Authority on behalf of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which funds the scheme.

Staffing requirements in the areas highlighted by the Deputy should be viewed in light of the very substantial increases in employment levels achieved in the health service in recent years. In the North Western Health Board region, there has been an increase in the level of employment of 2010, excluding home helps, in wholetime equivalence terms since 1999, or 42%. In this context, comparing employment levels at end-December 2003 to those at end-1999, there were 52% — 137 — more medical-dental personnel, 78% — 281 — more health and social care professionals, 34% — 588 — more nurses employed in the region in wholetime equivalent terms.

Regarding the prioritisation of particular service and geographical areas, the responsibility for human resource planning rests with the chief executive officer of the North Western Health Board. The chief executive in managing the workforce in his region is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing mix and the precise grades of staff to be employed in line with service plan priorities, subject to overall employment levels remaining within the approved regional employment ceiling.

The provision of health related services for people with disabilities is a matter for the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority in the first instance. Accordingly a copy of the Deputy's question has been forwarded to the chief executive of the North Western Health Board with a request that he examine the matter and reply direct to the Deputy.