Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will address the concerns of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 10. [19224/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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. The Executive, therefore, is the appropriate body to consider the particular case 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.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when it is intended to commence construction on the hospice for Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19230/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular case 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.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will assist persons (details supplied) in County Dublin urgently. [19233/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Charges for In-Patient Services) Regulations 2005 have provided for two different classes of persons on whom charges may be levied. These regulations were signed by the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Health and Children on 14 January 2005.

Class 1

Class 1 refers to people in receipt of in-patient services on premises where nursing care is provided on a 24 hour basis on those premises. In this case, a weekly charge can be levied of €120 or the weekly income of that person less €35, whichever is the lesser.

Class 2

Class 2 refers to people in receipt of in-patient services on premises where nursing care is not provided on a 24 hour basis on those premises. In this situation, a weekly charge can be levied of €90, or the weekly income of that person less €55 or 60% of the weekly income of that person, whichever is the lesser.

These regulations provide for the maximum charge to be levied on either class of person. The HSE issued revised guidelines for the implementation of the charges in July 2006.

The HSE has the power to reduce or waive a charge on the grounds of "undue hardship". Under Section 1 (b) of the Health (Amendment) Act, 2005, the HSE can examine a person's overall financial situation in view of the person's reasonable expenditure in relation to themselves or their dependants, if any.

I welcome the decision by my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, to grant the full disability allowance to all persons in institutional residential care who, prior to that, were not eligible for this allowance.

The net impact of granting the full disability allowance, in the context of long stay charges, is that the individuals will continue to receive the same level of service as before but will have increased income which they will be able to retain for their personal use.

The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to improve the treatment facilities for sufferers of cystic fibrosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19236/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I acknowledge the need to develop services for persons with cystic fibrosis. I identified this as a key priority in 2006 and again in 2007. Development funding of €4.78 million was provided to the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2006 to facilitate the recruitment of additional medical, nursing and allied health professional staff to improve services for cystic fibrosis patients. Additional funding of €2 million has been allocated this year to build on the investment provided in 2006.

I also asked the HSE to address in particular the identified deficits at the national adult referral centre at St. Vincent's University Hospital. My Department is advised by the HSE that recent interim improvements at the hospital have resulted in additional capacity for persons with cystic fibrosis. In addition, the HSE has approved the establishment of a Project Team to progress the next phase of the ongoing major capital development at St. Vincent's. A new Unit for persons with cystic fibrosis has been identified by the HSE as one of a number of priority projects to be included in the development.

In 2005, the HSE established a Working Group to undertake a detailed review of cystic fibrosis services. The Group was asked to review the current configuration and delivery of services to persons with cystic fibrosis in Ireland. I understand that the Group has completed its work.