Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 13: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason dedicated palliative care funding, announced by her in 2006 and 2007, were not expended on palliative care services; if she has taken steps to ensure the Health Service Executive will repay funding that was redirected away from palliative care services in order that it can be dedicated to palliative care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22187/08]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 16: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the funding that has been allocated by Government for new developments for 2007 that has not been used for that purpose; if she will specifically account for money assigned for palliative care and mental health that has not been spent for that purpose; the way she will protect such funding in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22161/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 16 together.

Overall spending on mental health services in 2007 amounted to €1 billion. This included some, but not all, of the additional €51m funding which was provided by the Government in Budgets 2006 and 2007 to support implementation of "A Vision for Change

In 2007, overall spending by the HSE on palliative care services amounted to €75m. Again, this included some, but not all, of the additional €18m funding which was provided by the Government in Budgets 2006 and 2007.

The HSE has advised me that it was unable to use the remaining funding for mental health and palliative care services as planned because it had to cover higher than anticipated costs in other parts of its services, particularly in acute hospitals, within its overall budget allocation.

Clearly, the HSE has to operate within the resources available to it in any year. However, this should not mean that new funding provided by the Government for specific service enhancements is redirected to other purposes. Accordingly, we need to focus on improving the management of existing services and associated funding. In particular, making better use of existing capacity within acute hospitals and managing hospital activity on a planned basis would deliver better hospital services and, at the same time, allow primary and community services to be improved in line with the Government's overall strategy.

My primary concern at this stage in relation to mental health and palliative care services is to improve the services provided to clients and patients. My Department has, therefore, asked the HSE to submit proposals for enhancing these services within its existing overall resources.