Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 93: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the updated plan to deal with a 'flu pandemic; if she agrees with Mr. Kevin Kelleher of the Health Service Executive that the health service could not cope with a serious 'flu pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15402/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In line with information and evidence available internationally, the Department of Health and Children has consistently stated that a human influenza pandemic would have serious consequences. A global pandemic will affect all countries and will cause widespread disease, death and disruption to the health services and to society.

Pandemic preparedness planning is, therefore, a high priority for the Department of Health and Children and for the Health Service Executive. The overall aims of influenza pandemic planning are to reduce mortality and morbidity, and to minimise the resulting disruption to society in so far as possible.

This work has been ongoing for some time. A model plan for influenza pandemic preparedness was finalised in 2002. A generic public health emergency plan for the health system was prepared in 2004. This included disease-specific operational response plans for SARS, pandemic influenza and smallpox. The Deputy may be aware of the report, How Prepared is Europe for Pandemic Influenza? — Analysis of National Plans, issued by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and published in the on-line edition of The Lancet last week.

The completeness and quality of national preparedness plans were assessed based on the World Health Organisation's preparedness checklist addressing levels of planning and co-ordination; surveillance; public health interventions such as public health control measures, vaccines and antivirals; health system response; maintenance of essential services; communication; and putting plans into action.

The researchers acknowledge that only those plans available for analysis at the time of research, November 2005, were included in the analysis. As such, the report reflects a snapshot of the position as reflected in published documents at that time. Nevertheless, Ireland scores well in completeness of preparedness plans and is generally above the EU average in the thematic areas listed.

Pandemic planning is, however, a dynamic process and work is ongoing on several fronts. The influenza pandemic expert group is updating expert guidance. The pandemic influenza operational response plan is being updated in line with the expert advice. The Department of Health and Children has established a standing interdepartmental committee to consider issues which go beyond the health aspects of an influenza pandemic. Arrangements have been made to procure a stockpile of H5N1 vaccine for key health care workers and other essential workers. The Department of Health and Children is also actively pursuing an advanced purchase order for a pandemic strain vaccine. We are stockpiling 1 million treatment packs of the antiviral drug, Tamiflu. Arrangements have also been made to purchase a supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredient to treat children aged between one to five years of age. Contractual arrangements are being finalised for the stockpiling of additional supplies of the other suitable antiviral drug, Relenza.