Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the funding and provision of the promised 100 primary care teams; when these will be available; if she will confirm the relationship between pharmacies and these primary care teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12070/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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It has been estimated that up to 95% of people's health and social care needs can be properly met within a primary care setting. The establishment of new integrated multi-disciplinary Primary Care Teams can contribute greatly to enhancing community based health services and reducing reliance on hospital based services.

The HSE received an additional €10m in funding in 2006 to enable the establishment of up to 100 Primary Care Teams. A further €22m is being provided in 2007 to meet the full year costs of the Teams initiated in 2006 and to enable a further 100 Primary Care Teams to be established.

In accordance with the approach set out in the strategy "Primary Care: A New Direction", the composition of Teams will depend on the needs, demographics and geographic location of the population served but will typically consist of GPs, Nurses, Home Helps and Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Social Work professionals. A wider range of professionals including Pharmacists, Dieticians, Psychologists and Chiropodists will be organised into Primary Care Networks, with each such Network supporting a number of Primary Care Teams.

To date the HSE has identified the location for the first group of teams, which includes some 500 GPs who will be members of teams. Some 94 new frontline professionals are in post or about to take up posts. The HSE will be working in the current year to involve substantial additional numbers of GPs and to appoint the additional personnel required, with a view to having some 200 Primary Care Teams in place by the end of 2007.

The Government has committed under the Towards 2016 agreement to the establishment of 300 Primary Care Teams by 2008; 400 by 2009; and 500 by 2011. A review of these targets will be undertaken in 2008.