Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the funding which has been provided in each of the past five years for home-help services; the basis on which this is allocated to each local health office area; the actual amount of funding provided to each LHO area in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the adequacy of the current provision. [32019/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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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, 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.

With regard to your question in respect of the adequacy of the current provision, I would point to the provisions made in Budget 2006 with respect to Services for Older People when an additional €33 million full year cost was allocated for the Home Help programme (€30 million for 2006). This represents a significant increase over the Estimates provision of €112 million for 2005. The additional funding of €30 million is being used to provide 1.75 million more home help hours.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties experienced by patients on their discharge from hospital if they have a prescription for medication which may or may not be immediately available; if she will review this policy in respect of medical card holders with a view to arranging for patients to be supplied with two to three days medication in order to avoid such difficulties. [32020/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Where a patient is discharged from hospital with a prescription for a non-standard drug/medicine it is a matter for the hospital concerned to ensure that the patient is able to source that product without undue delay. If this is not possible the hospital should provide the patient with an appropriate amount of medicine which will maintain him/her until such time as the prescription can be presented and dispensed through a community pharmacy.

If the Deputy provides me with details of any particular incidents of which she has been made aware I will have the matter fully investigated.