Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 255: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if the accident and emergency and acute services in Ennis General Hospital will be continued or discontinued; if all hospitals that were to lose their accident and emergency and acute services under the Hanly report proposals are no longer to be subject to downgrading; if the Hanly report will be withdrawn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26370/05]

James Breen (Clare, Independent)
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Question 272: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if Ennis General Hospital will remain an acute surgical and medical hospital with 24-hour accident and emergency services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26720/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 272 together.

The report of the national task force on medical staffing, Hanly report, made a series of important recommendations regarding the development of hospital services. Responsibility for the future configuration of acute hospital services, taking into account the recommendations of the report by the national task force on medical staffing, now rests with the Health Service Executive. The key priority is to ensure that patients, wherever they live, have access to high quality hospital care.

The provision of services at Ennis General Hospital is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.