Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to extend the role and functions authority of the Health Information and Quality Authority to allow it to carry out unannounced inspections and other appropriate activities in voluntary hospitals and Health Service Executive controlled hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12921/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The functions of the Health Information and Quality Authority include the setting of standards for the HSE and organisations providing services to the HSE and the monitoring of compliance with those standards. The Authority has already developed national quality standards in areas such as symptomatic breast disease, hygiene and infection prevention and control. Work is ongoing by my Department on the drafting of legislative proposals for a mandatory system of licensing which will cover both public and private healthcare providers based on explicit standards set by the Health Information and Quality Authority. It is anticipated that these legislative proposals will be brought to Government by the end of the year. Work is already well advanced by the Authority on the development of the standards which will underpin this system of licensing.

It is a matter for the Authority to decide how best to monitor compliance with any standards, including making unannounced inspections.