Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 61: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her proposals to respond to the first study of the Irish Hospice Association which found that the two most important requirements of terminal patients are freedom from pain and being near loved ones. [11506/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The publication of the report of the national advisory committee on palliative care was approved by the Government and launched on 4 October 2001. The report describes a comprehensive palliative care service and acts as a blueprint for its development over a five to seven year period. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has provided funding to all the former health boards on a pro-rata basis to commence the development of palliative care services in line with the recommendations in the report.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, HSE, 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 responsibility for the provision of palliative care services.

The report recommended that palliative care needs assessment studies should be carried out in each health board area. Information gleaned from these studies, which will include the views of stakeholders including patients and their carers, will inform the future development of palliative care services at HSE level in consultation with the consultative and development committees which have been set up as recommended in the report.