Written answers

Thursday, 27 April 2006

Department of Health and Children

Health Service Management

5:00 pm

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 88: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has sought an operational plan from the Health Service Executive on the organisational structures that exist within the Health Service Executive; what the optimum structures should be; if there are resource issues identified that will require to be captured in budget 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15849/06]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Under section 31 of the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive must submit a service plan to my Department within 21 days of the publication of the Estimates. The service plan was submitted in line with the legislation on 8 December 2005 and was approved by me on 22 December 2005.

In addition under section 35 of the Health Act 2004 there is provision obliging the Health Service Executive to draw up a code of governance which will include guiding principles applicable to the executive as a public body. This code must include an outline the structure of the executive, including the roles and responsibilities of the board and the chief executive officer. In addition it must also outline the methods to be used to bring about the integration of health and personal social services.

The Department has issued a framework document for corporate and financial governance for the Health Service Executive and requested the executive to draw up a code of governance, in line with the framework, to replace previous governance provisions in place in the old health board structures. The executive submitted an update on progress of its code of governance to me in December. The executive is still working on the contents of the code and my Department is in communication with it in this respect.

Funding for the health services for the next year will be agreed in the context of the Estimates campaign which is due to commence presently. The process will conclude later this year with the publication of the Abridged Estimates Volume 2007.

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