Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that negotiations between her Department, the Health Service Executive and the Shannon Doc Co-operative have broken down; if her attention has further been drawn to the adverse consequences of this breakdown on services provided by general practitioners in the Limerick area; if she will intervene in the dispute to ensure that a realistic offer is made to meet the concerns of the GPs in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11862/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Out of hours co-operatives allow general practitioners to put in place arrangements to provide services to their patients, while their surgeries are closed in the evenings, on weekends and bank holidays. The development of GP co-operatives is in line with the overall health service policy of strengthening primary care services and ensuring that to the greatest extent possible, people's care needs are met in the primary care setting.

Out of hours co-operatives are now in place in all Health Service Executive (HSE) areas, providing coverage in all or in part of all counties. Between 2000 and 2006 approximately €139 million was allocated to the HSE for out of hours GP co-operatives. In 2007, the HSE Vote includes almost €34 million in baseline funding for these services and a further €3 million to meet the full year cost of Co-op developments commenced in 2006. These figures do not include the fees of the participating doctors.

As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for this service, it is the appropriate body to provide the information sought by the Deputy. My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.