Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 294: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the current spend or allocation to the various bodies dealing with the Traveller community; the amount of the overall spend or allocation in each of the years from 2000 to date in 2006 in funding all services, projects, schemes, grants, loans and resources to the Traveller community; her views on whether the return on such spending has been satisfactory; and her plans to improve the effectiveness of such services. [2918/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Part of the Deputy's question regarding the current allocations to various bodies dealing with the Traveller community 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.

Since 2000 over €9.6 million in ongoing revenue funding has been allocated to Traveller specific health services such as the appointment of designated public health nurses for Travellers and the replication of primary health care for Traveller projects. This funding is allocated through the Traveller health units in each Health Service Executive area. Travellers and Traveller organisations are involved in partnership with HSE personnel through each Traveller health unit in the development of Traveller health services and in the allocation of resources.

A Travellers' all-Ireland health study will commence later this year and the findings of this study will determine the future direction of Traveller health services.