Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 430: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way she will select the members of the public, with regard to her recent statement that a key element of the consultancy process on the location of the new North East Area Regional Hospital will involve the Health Service Executive inviting the public to make a submission on the hospital location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9939/07]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way the Health Service Executive proposes to invite other interested parties to make a submission on the proposed new North East Regional Hospital location; the interested parties that will be invited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9940/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 and 431 together.

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 issues raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matters investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, having regard to her recent statement regarding the Health Service Executive's assurance to her that in progressing the reorganisation of services in the north east, there will be no discontinuation of existing services until suitable alternative arrangements have been put in place, this refers to the establishment of the new north-east regional hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9941/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The HSE has established a Steering Group and a Project Group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards across the acute hospital network in the North East Region. The decision was taken having regard to the issues raised in the report prepared for the HSE by Teamwork Management Services — "Improving Safety and Achieving Better Standards — An Action Plan for Health Services in the North East".

The Teamwork Report included a number of recommendations to improve patient care in the region. It particularly highlighted the need to develop a high quality, responsive emergency and planned service, in line with international standards. It recommended that there be one major regional hospital in the North East, supported by five local hospitals. The new hospital is to provide emergency and trauma services on a 24 hour basis and also provide planned specialist procedures that are complex and require the facilities of a large regional hospital.

The hospital reconfiguration process is being overseen by the HSE Steering Group which is leading the project. No decision has been made to date on the location of the new hospital. A sub-committee of the Steering Group has been established to progress the issue of site selection. A tender for consultancy is to be awarded shortly for an independent site location study. The study will take account of various criteria including demographics, access, planning and development considerations and interdependencies.

The HSE has given me an assurance that, in progressing the implementation of this report, there will be no discontinuation of existing services until suitable alternative arrangements have been put in place.