Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether it is not appropriate to have contract cleaners responsible for cleaning in clinical areas of hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29963/07]

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 issue raised by the Deputy.

However, cleaning in hospitals is currently carried out by a combination of direct provision of cleaning services and contract cleaning. It is recognised that irrespective of the organisational arrangements, it is essential to monitor hospital hygiene on an ongoing basis. It is important that the focus is on levels of hygiene achieved rather than hours of cleaning provided. What matters is continuous improvement in hygiene not whether the cleaners are HSE or contract staff. I have been informed that a Cleaning Manual which was circulated by the HSE to all acute hospitals in September 2006 includes guidance on service level agreements with contract cleaning firms.