Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the extent to which the policy of her Department in the future is expected to be influenced by the various reports commissioned by her Department over the past 10 years such as the 10 year plan, The Brennan Report and The Hanly Report; if it is intended to adopt all of the recommendations; the recommendations that are not expected to be adopted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2967/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As part of the ongoing roll out of the Health Reform Programme, my Department is responsible for overall organisational, legislative, policy and financial accountability for the health sector. The Health Service Executive (HSE) was established in January, 2005 and is responsible for the management and delivery of health and personal social services.

Policy for the delivery of health services is concerned with development of health services in all regions of the country, capable of providing safe, high-quality services that achieve the best possible outcomes for patients whether in primary care settings or when accessing a hospital service. My Department is informed by a broad range of strategy documents and associated policies to guide it in that work.

The Health Reform Programme comprehends Quality and Fairness — The National Health Strategy, The Primary Care Strategy as well as the Prospectus, Brennan and Hanly reports. These reports are guiding the future of the health service in that they lay out the overall direction for the major changes in the health services and how they should be addressed and delivered.

Under the Health Act, 2004, a core responsibility of the Department is that of holding the HSE to account in relation to its financial performance and performance of service delivery, as well as the effective implementation of Government policies. A number of Expert Advisory Groups (EAGs) have also been established by the HSE and are located within its organisational structure in order to provide strategic leadership and expertise in the development and interpretation of national policy, strategies and service design in the delivery of health and personal social services. The EAGs are made up of a wide range of health professionals and will verify compliance with policy and legislation, monitor appropriate resource utilisation and ensure national consistency in implementation and service delivery.

Another contributor to policy development in the delivery of health services is the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA). HIQA will undertake health technology assessments and will evaluate information on health and social services and the health and welfare of the population, and advise the Minister and the HSE on these issues.

Government policy in relation to health will continue to be guided by various strategic and policy documents and the recommendations which they contain, while taking into account the growing evidence base nationally and internationally on best practice in healthcare, and the requirement that the patient and their needs be at the centre of service development.