Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason general practitioners received an additional €4 million, after the deduction of back pay, bringing total payments in 2005 for general practitioners to €414 million and in the same year administrative costs increased from €15.5 million to €17 million with regard to the national shared services primary care reimbursement service for 2005; the reason for the disproportionate costs to this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41395/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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In 2006, total health funding is €13.147 billion, which represents an underlying increase of 12.04% over 2005. The vast bulk of this funding is provided under the vote of the Health Service Executive (HSE) which has statutory responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services. This continuing high level of investment by the Government provides the Executive with considerable capacity to address the healthcare needs of the population in the most effective manner.

The information sought by the Deputy relates to matters within the area of responsibility of the Executive. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have these matters investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the breakdown of the number of public health doctors per county; the number of vacancies for public health doctors per county; the locations of these vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41384/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Over 120,000 people work full-time or part-time in our public health services. In recent years, the Government's ongoing high level of investment in health has achieved and maintained significant increases in the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals employed in the public health services. The Government has also invested heavily in the education and training of such personnel in order to secure a good supply of graduates to provide for the healthcare needs of the population into the future. The Deputy may wish to note that between end-1997 and June 2006 there has been an increase of nearly 39,000 Whole-Time Equivalent posts (+58%) in employment levels for the health services.

Subject to overall parameters set by Government, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility for determining the composition of its staffing complement. In that regard, it is a matter for the Executive to manage and deploy its human resources to best meet the requirements of its Annual Service Plan for the delivery of health and personal social services to the public. The Executive is the appropriate body to consider the matter raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.