Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm the rights of Members of the Oireachtas to make representations and receive detailed responses from the Health Service Executive in relation to the health repayment scheme, rather than receiving unsigned generic replies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26915/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has responsibility for administeringthe health repayment scheme in conjunctionwith the appointed scheme administrator KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald.

The HSE has informed my Department that the Data Protection laws governing the repayment process are particularly strict and are primarily aimed at protecting the privacy and rights of all applicants. Therefore the Scheme Administrator cannot divulge information about particular claims to the Public Representatives. However, the Scheme Administrator have put a process in place in order to deal with this privacy issue. Firstly they correspond directly with the claimant by phoning them and updating them on the current status of their application. The Scheme Administrator also advise them of the representation by the Member on their behalf. They then write to the Member informing them that this has been done. This ensures that the privacy and the rights of applicants are maintained in a scheme where not divulging information to third parties is at the core of their processes.

The HSE have informed me that they will endeavour to provide public representatives with as much individual information where possible within the requirements of the Data Protection Legislation.