Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when her Department will respond to a submission made by the Health Service Executive southern area in its support of recommendations made in a report (details supplied). [18256/05]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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In addition to the development of new and-or enhanced service provision, my Department has been working with the former health boards and voluntary service providers in recent years to meet specific identified needs in existing services. These primarily relate to the changing profile of the population in these services and in particular increased dependency levels due to ageing, medical frailty or challenging behaviour. The mechanism used is that following a review process, agreement is reached with the agency and the relevant health board in regard to the identified level of need. This is the process followed in the case of the agency to which the Deputy referred.

When carrying out this review my Department made it clear to all agencies involved in the exercise that, while making every effort to provide the resources required to address the needs identified in the review, it could not give a commitment in regard to a specific timeframe within which these needs would be met. 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. This includes responsibility for the matter referred to by the Deputy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the chief officer for the executive's southern area to investigate the matter raised and to reply directly to the Deputy.