John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 250: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the status of complaints made by a person (details supplied) relating to funds managed by the Health Service Executive for long-stay patients; if the investigation will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32531/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive, in discharging its duty of care to long-stay patients, operates a patient private property account system to manage the private money of long-stay patients. The administration of these accounts is a service offered to patients on admission to long-stay care and is a service expected of the health service. The executive in September of this year established a multidisciplinary working group on patient private property accounts. The working group was established to ensure that the administration of these accounts meets all legal and regulatory requirements; operates in the best interests of patients in as responsive a way as practical; takes appropriate account of the input of patients, relatives and friends in so far as is practical; is consistent with best practice in terms of financial controls, transparent accountability and corporate governance arrangements; and is efficient and represents value for money in the use of staff and HSE resources.

On the complaint in question, documentation previously received in the Department has been again forwarded to the Health Service Executive for investigation. My Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter followed up as a matter of urgency and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.