Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 121: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the efforts she is making to improve specialist health services in the north east; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15495/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Responsibility for improvements in specialist services in the former north eastern health board region rests with the Health Service Executive, HSE. The executive has advised that a number of capital and service developments have been progressed in recent years to facilitate the improvement of specialist health services in the region.

Principal among these developments are the establishment of joint departments of surgery in both the Louth-Meath and Cavan-Monaghan hospital groups; the development of midwifery-led units at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Cavan General Hospital; the development of the ICU, CCU and HDU areas in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda; the expansion of symptomatic breast services in the region; the installation of a CT scanner at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan; the expansion of renal services at Cavan General Hospital; the appointment of an additional consultant cardiologist at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and Louth County Hospital, Dundalk; the appointment of an additional community paediatrician for Cavan-Monaghan; and the appointment of an additional consultant dermatologist to the region with a special interest in paediatric dermatology.

My Department has requested the HSE to furnish a more detailed profile of developments in the north-eastern region directly to the Deputy. The executive has commissioned a general study of health service configuration in the north-east. This review will inform future decisions on the configuration and development of specialist hospital services in the region. The HSE has advised my Department that the review is due to be completed next month.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 122: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the need for the introduction of hearing screening for all newborn babies; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the failure to introduce this screening is causing serious lifelong disadvantage to deaf children, arising from late diagnosis of deafness; if her further attention has been drawn to the fact that newborn hearing screening is the accepted standard of care in all developing countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15451/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question 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.