Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 130: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the outsourcing of cleaning contracts should be reconsidered in view of the rising MRSA figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35448/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will be aware that responsibility for the management and delivery of health services is now a matter for the Health Service Executive. This includes responsibility for acute hospital services. The HSE has reported that the results of the national hygiene audit showed that good or bad hygiene was not dependent of whether the cleaning was carried out by staff in-house or by contract cleaners. The results of the hygiene audit will form the basis for the changes that are required in both work environments and work practices so as to meet the highest possible standards of cleanliness in hospital settings. The HSE is making an initial capital grant of €20 million available to hospitals to implement the recommendations of the audit.

The HSE will also publish national infection control standards and national cleaning standards — a consistent and robust set of hygiene standards for hospitals. Where previously standards may have depended on the approach of a particular hospital or health board, the HSE can now ensure every hospital will share and meet the same high standards of cleanliness and infection control. The national hygiene audit of acute hospitals will be repeated in early 2006 in order to assess the extent of the improvements made at hospital level since the publication of the first audit report.