Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the action she has taken to ensure that home help service providers are being fairly treated in respect of their contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12294/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question relates to human resource management within the Health Service Executive. As this is a matter for the Executive under the Health Act 2004, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have it investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

I recognise the valuable role of the home help service in enabling people who might otherwise need to be cared for in institutional care to remain at home where this is appropriate. I am aware that a high level group has been established with representatives from the Health Service Executive and staff representatives from SIPTU and IMPACT to address issues pertaining to the standardisation of home help services. The group held its first meeting on 23 March last and further meetings are scheduled.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 149: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she intends taking, independent of a Medical Council inquiry and in the interests of patient safety, following the publication of the Judge Harding Clarke report that highlighted the conclusions reached by the three consultant obstetricians chosen by the former doctor, Michael Neary, and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12295/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Following the publication of the report of the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital inquiry, I have discussed its findings with Patient Focus, the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, HSE, and the Medical Council. As the Deputy is aware, the Medical Council is the body with statutory responsibility for issues relating to fitness to practice of medical practitioners and I have no function in relation to any such enquiries.

The recommendations in the report underline the importance of a number of policies and actions that I have been pursuing, in particular the introduction of a new medical practitioners Bill, which I hope to bring to the House later this year, and the introduction of a new contract for hospital consultants, which is intended to include provisions in relation to clinical audit and competence assurance.

International experience of health service failures demonstrates the value of review mechanisms to ensure clinical governance and quality in the health care. The report should cause us to deal clearly with the implications that its findings have for the health service as a whole. I have asked my Department to develop mechanisms in conjunction with the HSE to ensure that clinical governance arrangements are strengthened throughout the health system.