Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 176: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of patients treated under the National Treatment Purchase Fund; and the number of these treated in the same hospital for which they were on the waiting list for treatment. [23538/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) was established as one of the key actions for dealing with public hospital waiting lists arising from the 2001 Health Strategy. To date, the NTPF has arranged treatment for some 42,000 patients. The NTPF purchases procedures for public patients predominantly from private hospitals in Ireland. The Strategy envisaged that the NTPF might also make use of any capacity within public hospitals to arrange treatment for public patients. It was recognised that during the start-up phase of the Fund, the use of public capacity could account for up to 30% of total NTPF activity, once public core service planned activity was not compromised. In June 2005 my Department advised NTPF that use by the Fund of public facilities should be limited to 10% of its total referrals for treatment.

My Department has asked the Acting Chief Executive of the Fund to respond to the Deputy in relation to the detailed information requested.