Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a person (details supplied) in County Offaly is included as one of the 25 persons on the waiting list at Birr community nursing unit as outlined in the response in the Adjournment debate on 5 October 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28586/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department requested a report on this matter from the Health Service Executive midland area. The HSE midland area has confirmed that the named individual is not currently on the waiting list for long-term care in the community nursing unit, Birr, County Offaly.

The HSE midland area has also confirmed that it is the policy of the Health Service Executive to provide patient-centred, flexible services where the views of individuals and their families are taken into account as an integral part of any decision in relation to current and future care. The national Health Service Executive as a single unified system allows for a more flexible approach to be taken to previous administrative boundaries. However, the HSE has advised that the opening up of services generally and in particular services in community nursing facilities would create short term implications for bed availability for clients in respect of whom services were originally planned. Therefore, the HSE has stated that any such process would have to be undertaken on a planned and managed basis.

The HSE midland area has further advised that the Health Service Executive provides and plans for individual circumstances and alternative proposals have been made to the family involved in respect of future care for the applicant. This, however, must be done having regard to competing demands and existing waiting lists for services.