Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if staff in her Department have been redeployed or reduced in the context of the transfer of much of the responsibility for overseeing the delivery of health services to the Health Service Executive; the areas of responsibility that have been transferred from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29980/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Arising from the health reform programme and the establishment of the HSE, a number of operational functions previously carried out by my Department have been transferred to the HSE. These include:

hospital planning

the administration of the voluntary hospital superannuation schemes and the nominated health agencies superannuation schemes

operational aspects of casemix and speciality costing

health promotion (advertising and awareness campaigns on health promotion and responsibility for funding voluntary organisations involved in health promotion initiatives only)

the administration of the Health Service Personnel Census.

The transfer of these functions involved a reduction of approximately 38 posts in my Department's approved complement of posts and some 17 individuals moved to the HSE on a permanent or secondment basis.

The approved complement for my Department at present is 530 posts. This includes nearly 70 posts in the Office of the Minister for Children but excludes the General Registration Office, the Adoption board, the Ombudsman for Children and the Repayment Scheme Appeals Unit.

Although the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health services across the country, the Minister for Health & Children remains politically accountable for developing and articulating Government policy on health and personal social services, and for the overall performance of the health service. Clearly, I rely upon my Department to support me in this regard.