Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 238: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the status of the HeBE; if she will report on the need for such a body since the abolition of the health boards; the cost in 2003 and 2004 of running the HeBE; the number of staff employed; the details of the staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20957/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Part 10 of the Health Act 2004 provides for the dissolution of certain health bodies and the transfer of their functions and employees to the Health Service Executive with effect from the executive's establishment day. The bodies specified under that part of the Act include the Health Boards Executive, HeBE. Under Statutory Instrument (S.I. No. 885 of 2004) made by me pursuant to the Act, the first day of January 2005 was appointed as the establishment day of the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, HeBE was dissolved and its functions transferred to the Health Service Executive on the establishment day.

The operations and activities of HeBE were incorporated into the project management unit of the Health Service Executive's change management and organisational development directorate.

Broadly, HeBE's annual expenditure was allocated between project expenditure and administration. The bulk of expenditure was incurred on projects. According to its published annual report for 2004, HeBE's total expenditure in 2004 amounted to approximately €15.6 million with the corresponding figure in 2003 being €6.1 million. Health Service Employment census data returned to my Department provides the following picture in relation to HeBE:

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will report on the present positions of each of the health board chief executive officers who were[i] in situ[/i] when the boards were dissolved, including the chief executive officer of the HeBE; and if the new positions are more highly remunerated than the chief executive officer positions. [20958/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Act 2004 provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive and the dissolution of the health boards and other specified bodies, including the Health Boards Executive. The Act also provided for the transfer of employees of specified bodies. To support the transition process, health board chief executive officers who had not taken up other positions within the new executive agreed to remain in post until 15 June 2005 as chief officers for their respective areas. Levels of remuneration remained the same for these chief officers.