Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 313: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the core funding supplied by her for hospice care support in each health region in each of the past five years; and the reason there is a discrepancy in funding between those regions. [29156/05]

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. 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.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the funding available from her Department for the Irish Hospice Foundation for each of the past five years; and the staff numbers to which these funds relate for each of those years. [29157/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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A once off grant of €55,000 was provided to the Irish Hospice Foundation from this Department's capital allocation in 2003 towards the establishment of an information centre.

With regard to the further information requested by the Deputy, this 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. Accordingly, the 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.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 315: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the location of each palliative care unit funded by her Department; the year each of these was established; the funding provided to each of these in each of the past five years and the staff numbers in each of these units. [29158/05]

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. Accordingly, the 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.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 317: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if it is the Health Service Executive or her Department that sets the criteria for qualification for home help; if the criteria is the same in every area if set at county or regional level; the reason the criteria was changed so dramatically in County Kilkenny; if the change was caused by lack of funding; if funding was reduced or cut back; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29160/05]

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. Accordingly, the 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.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of nurses here who have been overpaid under PPARS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29161/05]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of hospitals nationally in which nursing staff were overpaid under PPARS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29162/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together.

I have been informed by the Health Service Executive that the total number of nurses overpaid under PPARS is 258, in a total of 49 hospitals. To put this in context, I advise the Deputy that for the three HSE regions concerned — the midland, mid-western and north-western regions but excluding St. James's Hospital — there are 9,568 nurses on the payroll, almost 190,000 payments have been made through PPARS, and 130 nurses were overpaid in these areas. The HSE is satisfied that the overpayments in the main have resulted from incorrect entry of data on the system or the late input of data, rather than from flaws in the configuration of the PPARS system. In interpreting this figure, the Deputy should note that, unlike the old systems, PPARS deems even a single cent over to be an overpayment and hence the numbers of overpayments can appear much greater in comparison to the old systems.

I am advised that an upgrade of the system has occurred on the weekend of 2 October 2005, which will result in staff being more accurately paid, and a further 651 nurses will be impacted. The net value of these payments is very small, as a number of employees had also been underpaid. This upgrade will result in more accurate payments for allowances and deductions for part-periods, which were not dealt with automatically under the old manual payroll systems.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 320: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the procedure in place for the repayment of money mistakenly overpaid under PPARS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29163/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Each agency had its specific procedure for recoupments except for recoupments identified as part of the upgrade in September 2005 where a national agreement was made. Prior to the upgrade in September 2005 there was no national agreement in place for overpayments. The following was agreed nationally and communicated to trade unions at national and local level, namely, that for recoupment values less than €15, employees were notified in advance through internal notification — notices on notice boards, internal e-mail and through line managers. The recoupment value is listed on employees' October 2005 payslips as advance notice. The recoupments will be deducted from employees in November 2005. For recoupment values greater than €15, a separate letter is being issued to the individual employees advising them of the arrangements. The recoupment value is listed on employees' October 2005 payslips as advance notice. Employees are being contacted during October 2005 to agree a repayment process. Repayments can be made over a number of pay periods and this is based on the amount due.

Prior to the upgrade in September 2005 there was no national agreement in place for overpayments, and the following agency agreements were operated. The process for recovery of overpayments in the north-western area is as follows: identification of overpayment is made; the recoupment is agreed with the employee; for smaller amounts recoupment is made in the next available pay cycle; and for larger amounts the period is agreed with the employee and, as a rule of thumb, should be less than one year. The amount may extend beyond one year on occasions if the amount involved is large.

The process for recovery of overpayments in the midland area is as follows: for small amounts the overpayment is recouped in the next available pay cycle; and the maximum period allowed for repayment is two years.

Regarding the mid-western area, once an overpayment has been identified the employee is notified and recoupments are made in accordance with an agreed repayment schedule.

At St. James's Hospital, the payroll department will not deduct an overpayment unless agreed with the employee or, in the absence of employee agreement, the payroll department will initiate a repayment plan resulting in a 5% fortnightly or 10% monthly deduction of the total amount overpaid.