Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the development of services at the County Hospital Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41174/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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This Government is committed to the development of acute hospital services in each individual hospital, network, and region. Each hospital, including Roscommon, has a role to play in providing acute hospital services.

Our policy is to provide safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients. This will mean that those services that can be safely delivered locally are delivered locally and the more complex services that require specialist input are concentrated at regional centres, or in the case of highly specialised services in national centres. This approach is consistent with international best practice for the optimum delivery of patient care.

Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular 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.