Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 259: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the guidelines for the response to questions by the parliamentary affairs division of the Health Service Executive; if there is a limit to the maximum time allowed before reply; the number of questions answered in each of the past three years; the number of questions answered within one week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, 26 weeks and more than 26 weeks in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3077/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Responding to the information needs of the Oireachtas is a priority for my Department and is a regular agenda item at meetings between myself and the Chief Executive Officer of the Health Service Executive.

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.

With regard to the number of Parliamentary Questions referred to the Executive for direct reply in the last three years, the details are as follows:

2007 - 2,744

2008 - 3,544

2009 - 3,145.

The information sought by the Deputy concerning the number of questions answered within one week, two weeks etc. is not available. In 2007 the Executive worked to a timeframe of responding to referred questions within 20 working days and this target was met for 65% of referred questions. From January 2008, this timeframe was reduced to 15 working days and 73% of referred questions were answered within this period. In 2009, 62% of questions referred to the Executive were answered within the 15 day timeframe. The Executive is very conscious of the need for prompt responses to Parliamentary Questions and there is regular liaison between my Department and the Executive in this regard. At my regular meetings with the CEO of the HSE I will continue to stress the importance of providing responses to Parliamentary Questions that are both prompt and of a high quality.