Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 164: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a recent letter from the national hospitals office stating that 24-hour casualty services would continue to operate at Ennis General Hospital is correct; if this remains Health Service Executive policy; if this will remain the policy following implementation of other proposals contained in the report of the national task force on medical staffing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13584/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Under the Health Act 2004, responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services rests with the Health Service Executive. This includes responsibility for Ennis General Hospital.

An independent external review of all acute hospital services in the mid west and how they can be developed in accordance with best practice has been approved by the Health Service Executive. The review is to be completed by the end of the year following which the findings will be published.

The HSE has said the consultants who will carry out this review will be asked to consider and make recommendations on the options for reconfiguring and redesigning services and, in particular, to identify the elements of health care that can be most effectively delivered at each site and set out what needs to be done to achieve this objective.

Concerns raised by individuals and groups, particularly in regard to the smaller hospitals, and the work already undertaken by groups such as the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee, the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in the United Kingdom and the Nenagh General Hospital Action Group, will be taken into account as a key component of the review process. The HSE also advises that there have been enhancements to the accident and emergency service at Ennis General Hospital, including the appointment of dedicated doctors to the unit on a 24-hour basis and the involvement of an accident and emergency consultant on a sessional basis.