Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the approach to project governance and project management by health sector staff; the concerns raised regarding health sector staff by a private consultant (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29795/05]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views regarding the approach to project governance and project management by health sector staff; her further views on the circumstance in which claims were made by a private consultant to her Department which gave rise to serious concerns being expressed by the Department of Finance in a letter of 13 September 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29807/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 192 together.

The Secretary General of my Department has brought to the attention of the chief executive officer of the HSE the concerns that he shares with the Department of Finance in regard to IT governance generally within the HSE. The Secretary General met with the HSE and the Department of Finance on 18 October to progress these issues.

I also understand that the Comptroller and Auditor General, who is carrying out an examination of the PPARS project, is looking into the specific governance arrangements for that project.

The HSE has indicated that robust project management and project governance arrangements are in place in the FISP project since its inception. In total, the HSE has deployed a project management structure comprising: a project sponsor, a project director, a national project manager, six national team leaders and two area project managers. In addition, a project board chaired by a CEO of a health board and representative of all key stakeholders led the project during 2003-2004. In 2005, responsibility for the project rests with the HSE director of finance.

The Government, on 11 October 2005, decided on a new system for the management and control of major ICT projects, and a number of new measures to improve the management of consultancies, and I will be ensuring that these, together with any governance recommendations from the Comptroller and Auditor General's examination, will be rigorously followed in the health sector.

The private consultant concerned was working as a consultant for the HSE on the FISP project and he contacted my Department about the concerns raised by the Department of Finance about that project. He was informed that my Department only deals with the national director ICT on these matters and that all issues should be dealt with through these channels. The Department of Finance and the national director ICT were also informed.