Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding given to SouthDoc, the out of hours service co-op in Counties Cork and Kerry since 2001 to date in 2008; the primary use of this funding; the controls in place to ensure appropriate use of the funding; and the status of the funding programme and the Health Service Executive's plans to support this service with funding or otherwise in the future. [39069/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Out of hours co-operatives allow general practitioners to put in place arrangements to provide services to their patients, while their surgeries are closed in the evenings, on weekends and bank holidays. The development of GP co-operatives is in line with the overall health service policy of strengthening primary care services and ensuring that to the greatest extent possible, people's care needs are met in the primary care setting.

Out of hours co-operatives are now in place in all Health Service Executive (HSE) areas, providing coverage in all or in part of all counties. In 2007, the HSE Vote included almost €37 million in baseline funding for these services and the Executive has advised that this figure is available again in 2008. This figure does not include the fees of the participating doctors.

As the Health Service Executive has the operational and funding responsibility for this service, it is the appropriate body to provide the information sought by the Deputy . My Department has therefore requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to address this matter and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.