Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the purpose and function carried out by the Health Services National Partnership Forum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32131/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Services National Partnership Forum (HSNPF) is a joint management/trade union steering committee for workplace partnership in the Irish health service. The HSNPF was established in 1999 on foot of the provisions of Partnership 2000, the national agreement on social partnership then in place. It has continued to promote a partnership approach to change and problem solving in the health services under the subsequent national partnership agreements, the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, Sustaining Progress and the current agreement, Towards 2016. The HSNPF assists health agencies in the deepening of workplace partnership to achieve the highest quality service, care and working arrangements, by continuous improvement involving management, staff and trade unions working together.

The role and purpose of the HSNPF is as follows: to provide leadership to the health service partnership process; to champion partnership within health services management and within the trade unions; to ensure that the interests and objectives of the HSNPF's constituent groups are discussed at the partnership table; to provide a national level forum within which health service management and trade unions can agree the broad parameters within which workplace partnership is advanced at national, regional and local level; to support the partnership process within agencies and, if appropriate, support initiatives with service wide application; to resource the partnership process as appropriate including the provision of suitable training and facilities; to assist the development of best practice communications in the health services; to communicate the partnership message; to promote and develop measurement and evaluation with a view to learning and sharing information and to develop protocols based on this learning, e.g. a protocol on best partnership practice in the implementation of change; to continue to monitor relevant developments at national and international level in areas within and outside the health services and to develop strategic links; to formally verify progress in the health service context in relation to implementation of the modernisation programme as set out in all national agreements since Partnership 2000.