Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the Government asked the Irish Health Services Accreditation Board to draw up standards for nursing homes if she is not going to publish or implement same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21247/06]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she intends publishing and implementing the Residential and Non-Acute Care Accreditation Scheme as prepared by the Irish Health Services Accreditation Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21216/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 13 together.

A Working Group has been established by the Department of Health and Children to develop national standards, in line with best international practice, for residential care settings for older people. These will be the minimum standards which will have to be met in both private and public long term care settings. Membership of the Group comprises officials from the Department, the Health Service Executive, the Social Services Inspectorate and the Irish Health Service Accreditation Board (IHSAB). A draft of the national standards will be available in July and a consultation process will be undertaken to enable all interested parties to give their views.

IHSAB was established to operate accreditation programmes. Accreditation is an effective, internationally recognised evaluation process used by many countries world wide to assess and promote quality in healthcare. Accreditation is a voluntary process. The Residential and Non Acute Accreditation Scheme developed by IHSAB is therefore a voluntary scheme. This Accreditation Scheme sets out standards for the very highest level quality of care which service providers could work towards. These accreditation standards will be published by IHSAB once national standards are established. The Department and IHSAB are in ongoing consultation in relation to both national standards and accreditation standards.