John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the value for money review of the allocation and utilisation of funds for acute hospitals will be completed; the anticipated value of savings to the Exchequer due to the implementation of this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33769/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I take it that the Deputy is referring to the Value for Money and Policy Review Assessment of the Allocation and Utilisation of Funding in Acute Hospitals. Hospital Network 2 (Southern Area Group) is being used as the model for this exercise which will, however, have wider national relevance.

The consultants were asked to provide a systemic analysis of the allocation and utilisation of funding for expenditure in the Southern Hospitals Group in 2006 under the Government's Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative. The overall objective of the review is to:

assess the VFM achieved from money allocated and utilised in the Southern Hospitals Group and

to inform the scope for alternative approaches.

The Report is not yet complete so it is not possible to estimate the value of any savings that might accrue to the Exchequer as a result of the exercise.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the value for money review of the equal opportunities child care programme will be completed; the anticipated value of savings to the Exchequer due to the implementation of this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33770/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Value for Money Review of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) was completed in June 2007 and the Report on the Review was submitted to and approved by the Government on 11 July 2007.

The Government's Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative is part of a framework to secure improved value for money from public expenditure. Its objectives are to analyse Exchequer spending in a systematic manner and to provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities within and between programmes. The EOCP is a major EU co-funded investment programme with a total allocation of €535 million during 2000-2007. With the coming to an end of the EOCP in 2007, the Government introduced the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) in January 2006 to ensure a smooth transition for childcare services and to continue to support the development of the sector. This Exchequer only funded programme has an allocation of €575 million during 2006-2010.

The Value for Money Review of the EOCP was intended to inform the implementation of the NCIP, in particular the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme 2008-2010 which will replace the EOCP staffing support grant. It is not the intention to reduce the commitment to funding for childcare services as a result of the Value for Money Review but, rather, to ensure that the NCIP is efficiently and effectively implemented to secure the best outcomes from public funding. The recommendations of the Value for Money Review are being implemented by the Childcare Directorate of the Office of the Minister for Children. Some of the key recommendations of the Value for Money Review addressed the question of a new NCIP support scheme for community childcare services. These recommendations are provided for in the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme which was submitted to the Government with the Value for Money Review in July of this year and which was also approved.

I understand that the total allocation to this Scheme is €153 million over the next 3 years. As the total expenditure under the EOCP staffing support grant scheme in 2007 is expected to amount to €37.25 million, I am pleased to say that this represents a very significant increase in the annual funding allocation to support community childcare services.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the value for money review of the efficiency and effectiveness of long stay residential care for adults will be completed; the anticipated savings to the Exchequer due to the implementation of this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33771/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Value for Money (VFM) Review of Long Stay Residential Care for Adults within the Mental Health Services is due to be completed by the end of December, 2008. The Review Steering Group is chaired by a representative of the HSE and the Steering Group membership is composed of senior officials from the HSE, the Department of Finance, the Department of Health and Children and an Independent Quality Assessor. The review is being carried out as part of the programme of Value for Money and Policy Reviews which was approved by the Government in June, 2006, for the period 2006-2008. The Review is one of three VFM Policy Reviews in relation to topics under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children.

The objectives of the Value for Money and Policy Review initiative are to analyse Exchequer spending in a systematic manner and to provide a basis on which more informed decisions can be made on priorities within and between programmes. As the Review is still in progress, it is not possible to assess the outcome or to anticipate recommendations until the Review is completed.