James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the date the report of the expert group on resource allocation and financing in the health sector will be published; if she has received the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31400/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector has now completed its work and its Report will be presented to me and published on Friday 9th July. I intend to carefully review the contents of the Report and to bring it to Cabinet for its consideration by Autumn.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 217: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide an overview of efficiency and value for money measures announced by her per annum since 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31401/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Given the current fiscal position, I am strongly of the view that enhancing efficiency and value for money without impacting on service levels must be a key priority. This is a message that I have consistently communicated to the HSE and other health agencies. The following value for money adjustments were made in the HSE in the years 2007 to 2010.

The HSE National Service Plan 2010 commits to maintaining the value for money derived from previous years' base budgets and continuing to drive further value and efficiency through best practice benchmarking. The Government made a series of decisions that will reduce HSE costs this year by some €1bn, made up of pay savings of €630m and non-pay savings of €394m. The latter includes the target of €106m in non-pay economies to be saved by the HSE in 2010. Achievement against this target is reported on in the monthly Performance Reports against the Service Plan. In addition, other health agencies are subject to efficiency savings relative to their Budget for 2010.

My Department is also currently undertaking two Value for Money and Policy Reviews in the areas of Disability Services and the Economic Cost of Private Treatment in Public Hospitals under the Government's Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative 2009-2011, which will further help to drive efficiencies and effectiveness.