Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the recent Irish Hospices report which highlighted the critical nedd for 42 specialist palliative care beds for communities throughout the South East servicing a population of 429,000 people; her further views on the fact that it has no specialist palliative care beds at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29533/06]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the recent Irish hospices report on service provision which stated that extraordinary measures would be required in the south east, midlands and north east to give palliative care patients in these areas a similar level of service available to palliative care patients in other parts of the country; her further views on a five year plan for palliative care services in the south east that highlighted the critical need for an immediate investment of €6 million to bring palliative care services to a minumun level of care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29532/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 170 together.

As part of the Budget Day announcement last December on the provision of €150 million in a full year for older people and palliative care, a total of €13 million, €9 million this year, and a further €4 million next year was committed to statutory and voluntary providers of palliative care. This is the largest incremental increase ever provided for this programme. The funding included resources for areas of the country where the services were not developed.

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, the 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.