Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the amount spent to date on FISP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29812/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The following is the information I have received from the Health Service Executive.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 198: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has provided financial support for the development of a website (details supplied); the amount involved and the source of the finance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29813/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In recent years, provision has been made under the indicative drugs target savings scheme for the development of a primary care website, myGP.ie, which is operated by the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, with the aim of answering patients' queries and disseminating non-biased and comprehensive information on primary and preventative health care.

This is consistent with the overall objectives of the scheme which are to encourage rational prescribing practices on the part of general practitioners, increase and enhance the information and services available to patients and, in return, allow GPs to access funds for approved practice developments, research and education, and additional primary care expertise at practice level.

Funding for the myGP.ie website has been made available from within the overall budget for the scheme, which was provided for in the Vote for my Department up to this year. Payments to the IMO for development and maintenance costs commenced in May 2000 and amounted to approximately €996,000 in the period to end-2001, approximately €375,000 in 2002 and €660,000 in 2004. No payments have been made in 2005. The myGP.ie website was launched in 2004 and has been fully operational since then.

The review of governance and accountability mechanisms in the general medical service, published by my Department in February 2005, raised concerns regarding the liability to the Exchequer arising from the operation of the scheme in its present form. In this light, and in line with my commitment to the ongoing review of the operation of the general medical service and community drugs schemes, my Department and the Health Service Executive together with the IMO have initiated a full review of the scheme, which will take place over the coming months and will encompass all of its aspects. The outcome of this review will inform the way forward.