Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 233: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the boundaries of the former health boards will be removed from operational practice in the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26244/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive was established on a statutory basis with effect from 1 January 2005 under the Health Act 2004. The executive took over responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services from the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the health boards and a number of other specified agencies. The organisational design for the new body, as devised by the interim Health Service Executive, provided for the establishment of a number of national directorates. These include the primary, community and continuing care directorate which is responsible for the planning, management and delivery of all primary care, community based health and personal social services and continuing care hospitals and services. Since 1 September 2005, 32 local health offices, LHOs, established under this directorate, have responsibility and authority for the management of all services, other than acute hospital services, in their area.

The executive's national hospitals office directorate is responsible for the provision of all public acute hospital care and ambulance pre-hospital emergency care. The management and delivery of these services is effected through ten hospital networks. Operational practice in the management and delivery of health and personal social services under these structures is a matter for the Health Service Executive. If the Deputy has a specific query on this aspect, he should relay it to the executive's parliamentary affairs division, Health Service Executive, Mezzanine Floor, Stewarts Sports Centre, Waterstown Avenue, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, Phone 01 6426952 and e-mail address HelenM.Stokes@mailf.hse.ie.