Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 107: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the planned programme for implementation of the primary care strategy in the forthcoming 12 months; the number of additional primary care teams and networks to be put in place in that period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8490/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Government is fully committed to the implementation of the principles contained in the primary care strategy, which provides a template for the reform and development of primary care services over a period of ten to 15 years. The chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive has also emphasised the importance of developing primary care services as the appropriate service for the majority of people's health and social care needs and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. This is an important priority of the executive and has my full endorsement. The implementation process at operational level is a function of the HSE which, under the Health Act 2004, is responsible for the management and delivery of health and personal social services.

In order to support further implementation of the strategy in 2006, additional revenue funding of €16 million has been provided. Of this funding, €10 million is to support the establishment of between 75 and 100 primary care teams nationally. This will enable 300 additional frontline personnel to work alongside GPs in order to provide integrated and accessible services in the community. I have been informed by the HSE that work to establish these primary care teams in development is under way. I understand that the executive will be targeting the funding so as to provide each local health office of the HSE with the potential to develop up to three primary care teams. The executive hopes to focus on areas of disadvantage and health inequalities in its planning for the establishment of these teams.

A sum of €4 million has been provided for the establishment of additional GP training places and €2 million to enhance GP out-of-hours co-operatives. This means that taking into account development funding provided since 2002, €28 million is available in 2006 specifically to support the implementation of the primary care strategy. However, other development funding will also be used to support the delivery of services in line with the principles of the strategy.

Wider implementation of the primary care strategy will focus on developing new ways of working and reorganising the resources already available to the health service in line with the service model described in the strategy. This whole-system approach to implementation means change will be required in many sectors in the health service, not solely within primary care itself.