Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the Budget 2007 allocation for the Health Service Executive (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29917/07]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 262: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the proposals she has to meet the concerns of a group (details supplied) in County Waterford regarding the Health Services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29918/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 262 together.

The Revised Estimates Volume 2007 provides €13,431 million for day-to-day spending by the Health Service Executive which is an increase of 10.6% over the underlying 2006 provision. This substantial increase in funding means that the HSE is being well resourced. It comes in the wake of substantial year-on-year increases for some time now. The role of the board and accounting officer of the HSE is to deliver Health Services within the funding approved by Dáil Éireann. The management of resources and service planning is a matter for the HSE in the first instance. That is why the HSE was established to provide for the "single delivery of health services". The Health (Amendment) Act 2004 explicitly provides for the preparation by the HSE of a Service Plan in line with approved funding; for the Service Plan to be submitted to the Minister for approval; and for the Service Plan to reach to all services / business levels within the HSE.

It should be noted that to date this year, the HSE has exceeded the Service Plan targets in certain service areas, including acute hospital services, and has treated substantially more people than in the same period last year. In order to deal with expenditure pressures in recent months and to remain within approved funding, the HSE has put in place a number of corrective measures. Accordingly, HSE Management has decided that all foreign travel is cancelled for the remainder of the year, all Hotel bookings for meetings etc. are cancelled for the remainder of the year, all recruitment is suspended temporarily after which the situation will be reviewed and all "non-frontline" expenditure is to be critically reviewed. It is intended that these measures will not impact on "frontline" services which will be maintained in line with the National Service Plan and provision is made that where critical or essential vacancies arise, they may be filled by re-deployment of existing staff. The HSE is ensuring that patient care is not compromised and that it continues to maintain and improve the high level of service being provided.