James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the clinical role of public health doctors in the management of a flu pandemic; the persons who are the front line service providers in the event of such a pandemic; if there is a clearcut [i]modus operandi[/i] for obtaining swabs and having these swabs brought in a timely fashion to a virology laboratory; if the public health and community care doctors will see, screen and treat patients out of normal nine to five office hours; if so, the location at which they will do so; if, in the event of the public and community care doctors refusing to see patients out of hours they are then in breach of their contractual obligations; if a patient is in need of tamiflu after pharmacy normal working hours, the location at which this will be available; the arrangements in place to communicate in real time to a general practitioner; the role they will play in an outbreak; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19558/09]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, with regard to the management of a possible flu pandemic, public health and community care doctors are deemed to be front line service providers; if these doctors will screen and treat patients out of normal nine to five office hours; if so, the location at which they will do so; if refusal to do so will be in breach of their contractual obligations; if a patient is in need of tamiflu after pharmacy normal working hours, the location where this will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19140/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 160 together.

A national plan for pandemic influenza was put in place in January 2007, describing the health system response to a possible worldwide pandemic. This was activated on receipt of a public health alert from the WHO on Friday, 24th April 2009 indicating that human cases of influenza type A (H1N1) virus infection had been identified. As part of this response, the HSE has put in place arrangements to distribute antivirals through public health departments for the treatment of initial cases of Influenza A(H1N1) and their close contacts. Detailed guidance has also issued to Public Health Doctors and G.P.'s for the management of persons who may have influenza A(H1N1) by the HSE.

Since the outbreak there has been good cooperation from public health doctors in dealing with the influenza outbreak and it is anticipated that this will continue. The Labour Relations Commission has now brokered an agreement between the HSE and the IMO on a structured out-of-hours public health service. I am advised that the Irish Medical Organisation will ballot its senior public health doctor membership this week on the agreement, and a favourable outcome should result in the service being implemented from the beginning of June.

I have requested that the HSE reply directly to you on operational matters.