Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the review of renal services in this State will be published; the number of dialysis patients there are in the State; the number of patients awaiting dialysis; the number of dialysis stations actively available in the public sector; the number of patients they are catering for; the number of public patients being catered for in private facilities which are paid for by Health Service Executive; the cost per patient for public patients referred to private facilities; the cost for dialysis per patient in public hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14825/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular issues raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the issues investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

The HSE undertook a National Renal Review to inform the approach to the future development of renal services. The Report of the Review Group was completed over a year ago and developments in renal services have since been guided by the thinking in the report. The Renal Review Group identified the need for the early introduction of a follow-on implementation plan. The HSE has decided that such a plan needs to be aligned with its Transformation Programme. The HSE has further determined that the Report of the Review Group should be reviewed by an external expert/consultancy and arrangements are to be put in place to this effect.