Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 102: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress to date on the introduction of an out-of-hours general practitioner co-operative service for the east Cork region; the reason funding is not being made available for 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15426/05]

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

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. That includes responsibility for the development, implementation and monitoring of GP out-of-hours co-operatives.

Since the first GP out-of-hours co-operative began in 2000, in excess of €104.8 million has been provided to the Health Service Executive for out-of-hours co-operatives nationally.

The Health Service Executive, southern area, received €11.389 million under that heading between 2001 and 2004. In 2005, a sum of €6.271 was provided to the Health Service Executive's southern area to allow further expansion of its out-of-hours service.

Decisions in respect of the geographical area to be covered in any development or expansion of a GP out-of-hours co-operative are matters which fall within the remit of the relevant area of the Health Service Executive to decide, having regard to the strategic, financial and other issues involved. While I understand that some progress regarding the expansion of the out-of-hours service in the east Cork region has been made in recent days, my Department has asked the HSE southern area to reply directly to the Deputy.