Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will be accountable to Dáil Éireann for the actions of the Health Service Executive; if he will respond directly to queries in relation to the HSE, whether raised through parliamentary questions or on the Adjournment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7862/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments in respect of improving the way parliamentary questions, Adjournment debates, etc. are dealt with. I expect that these initiatives will be progressed across all Departments in due course.

However, I have already made a change in the arrangements for responding to parliamentary questions by the Health Service Executive. I have decided that parliamentary questions about operational issues of a national nature will now be answered by me, as Minister. Whenever possible these questions will be answered on the relevant Dáil day. Where this is not possible, because the information is not readily available, I will issue a reply as soon as possible thereafter.

Questions about individual patients, such as individual applications for medical cards, and about local service issues, such as individual hospitals or local organisations, will continue to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to Deputies. I have already asked my Department to liaise with the HSE about how best to improve the HSE response times for such questions.

Adjournment Debates will continue to be taken by me, as Minister, or by the Ministers of State as required.