James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made on the programme for Government commitment to ensure that the needs of all people who require palliative care are met whether at home, in the community of in a specialised hospice; if she will remove the regional disparities in the provision and funding of palliative care within five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30046/09]

Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Overall spending on palliative care by the HSE in 2008 was €78 million. Last year 2,655 people were treated in specialist in-patient palliative care units. 7,575 people received home based specialist care. 729 people received intermediate palliative care and a further 1,865 received day care services.

Additional in-patient palliative care beds have been opened in the past few years in existing hospices including 6 in Blackrock, an additional 10 beds opened in Milford Hospice and 4 additional beds in Galway in 2008. My Department is also working with the HSE to open 4 Beds in Athlone hospice later this year.

The Health service Executive was asked to prioritise palliative care service developments in the context of a framework over the medium term. A 'Palliative Care Services Medium Term Development Framework' was recently submitted to the Department by the HSE. This document details the required actions and initiatives necessary to address the gaps in palliative care service provision, against the recommendations set out in the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care 2001. The HSE and the Department are considering how this can be rolled out within existing resources.