Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of primary care centres established, as outlined in the primary care strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41404/06]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of primary care teams that have been established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41403/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 153 together.

The Primary Care Strategy is the roadmap for the future development of primary care services in Ireland over a period of some ten years, both as the appropriate service for the delivery of the majority of people's health and social care needs, and to complement the services provided by acute hospitals. At the heart of the Strategy is the aim of developing services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, home helps, occupational therapists and others.

The HSE received an additional €10m in funding in 2006 to enable the establishment of up to 100 Primary Care Teams; a further €10m is being provided in 2007 to enable the full year costs of these developments to be met. This will bring to €38m per annum the total ongoing funding provided by the Government to support the implementation of the strategy. This is in addition to the very substantial resources already in the funding base for a wide range of primary care services. The HSE is working to establish up to 100 Primary Care Teams in 2006 and it has indicated that it expects substantial progress in this regard to have been achieved by the end of the year.

The provision of the appropriate infrastructure for the effective functioning of the teams is also being considered by the HSE, having regard to a number of factors. These include the type and configuration of the services involved, the mixed public/private nature of our health system, the suitability of existing infrastructure and the capital requirements of the health services generally over the coming years.