Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 345: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has implemented a policy of Parliamentary Affairs Division replies to parliamentary questions referred from her Department taking 15 working days; the success rate of such a policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27224/08]

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 416: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of parliamentary questions which were lodged with her Department between January and June 2008 which were referred to the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27780/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 345 and 416 together.

The operation of the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the HSE (PAD) allows for the centralised receipt, assignment and tracking of Parliamentary Questions within the HSE's extensive network of operations. More generally, PAD monitors overall performance in relation to the timely issue of replies and provides a central contact for all requests from Oireachtas members for information relating to matters within the statutory remit of the Executive. It reports on a regular basis to the Chief Executive officer and his management team.

In 2007 the Chief Executive Officer of the HSE, Professor Drumm, reiterated to Oireachtas members the importance he attaches to providing replies to Parliamentary Questions and affirmed his focus on improving the turnaround time for replies to the greatest possible extent. The Chief Executive Officer circulated a briefing document to Oireachtas members which informed them of his decision to introduce a shorter time frame of 15 working days for replies from January 2008 and also outlined new accountability structures being introduced to further improve the HSE's performance in this area. In the period January to June 2008, a total of 1,835 questions were referred to the HSE for direct reply. During this period 1,642 replies were issued by the Executive and of these, 71% of replies were issued by the HSE within the new 15 day timeframe.