Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she endorses the report of the expert working group on the financing of health services; if she intends to implement its proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34699/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The Report of the Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector was submitted to the Minister for Finance and I on 9 July 2010. The Expert Group was asked to analyse the current resource allocation arrangements for health and personal social services and recommend changes which would support the core objectives of the health reform programme. It was also asked to take a view on the most appropriate financing mechanism for this purpose in Ireland.

The Report of the Expert Group includes 34 recommendations on a wide range of issues, including:

Developing an operational population health resource allocation model

Introducing a prospective based funding model for all relevant areas of the health and social care system; and

Addressing the burden of chronic disease management through an integrated care model and a new graduated form of eligibility.

The Group supported many of the recent health reform initiatives, including Fair Deal, the development of clinical care pathways, the policy of delivering integrated care outside hospitals as far as possible, the work being done on a unique health identifier and the development of more individualised funding options for persons with a disability. I am giving detailed consideration to all the recommendations contained in the Report. I intend to bring the Report to Government for its consideration shortly. I further intend to put in place an implementation process based upon the decisions of Government.