Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money invested in the years 2002 to 2006 in relation to the primary care strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6259/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Primary Care Strategy aims to develop services in the community to give people direct access to integrated multi-disciplinary teams of general practitioners, nurses, home helps, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and others.

It has been estimated that up to 95% of people's health and social services needs can be properly met within a primary care setting and the establishment of new Primary Care Teams can contribute greatly to enhancing community based health services.

Wider implementation of the Primary Care Strategy will focus on developing new ways of working and of reorganising the resources already available to the health service in line with the service model described in the Strategy. This whole-system approach to implementation means change will be required in many sectors in the health service, and not solely within primary care itself.

The HSE received an additional €16m in funding in 2006 to enable the establishment of up to 100 Primary Care Teams in development, to provide for the establishment of additional GP training places and to enhance GP out-of-hours co-ops. A further €25m is being provided in 2007 to meet the full year costs of the 2006 developments and to enable a further 100 Primary Care Teams in development to be established. This is in addition to development funding already provided of €5m in 2002, €2m in 2003 and €5m in 2005 and brings the total additional revenue funding specifically related to the Primary Care Strategy to €53m. Capital funding of €2.725m and €1.8m in respect of ICT supports was provided to support the development of the initial ten "pilot" primary care teams approved in 2002. It should be noted that new and existing funding provided under other headings will also be used to support the development and delivery of services in line with the principles of the Strategy.