Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health the reforms and savings within his Department and Health Service Executive which have been delivered under the Croke Park Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39234/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Public Service Agreement (PSA) has enabled the health sector to progress reform and to respond to the healthcare needs of the population in an appropriate and sustainable manner. In particular, it has allowed health services to continue to be delivered, against a backdrop of ever-increasing budget and staffing reductions. Since its inception in 2010, the Public Service Agreement has helped the health sector to manage the reduction of staff numbers by over 7,000. In particular, it showed its value in enabling the health service to cope with the ‘ Grace Period’ exits. In the six months to the end of February 2012, almost 5,000 staff members retired from the health service and all key services including maternity, critical care, neonatal and essential social services were maintained without interruption. This was facilitated to a large degree by the flexibility provisions in the Agreement. During this time the response and co-operation of staff often went beyond the terms of the Agreement. Approximately 3,500 staff have been redeployed within the health services.

Local management across the health services have fundamentally reviewed their rosters to ensure that they are optimised for efficient delivery of services. An extended working day is now in place in hospital laboratory and radiography services. Staff are co-operating with clinical care changes in hospitals resulting in initiatives such as the Acute Medicine Programme saving 70,000 bed days and the Productive Theatre system, improving theatre utilisation by 90%. In recent days, significant reforms have been negotiated with hospital consultants' representatives also.

With regard to my Department, since the commencement of the Agreement in 2010, the focus has been, and continues to be, on improving our efficiency and re-aligning structures to make it possible to best deliver a significantly increased work programme with progressively reducing staff resources. The Special Delivery Unit has been established. Cross-stream reporting has been introduced into the Department. A number of agencies have been subsumed into the Department under the rationalisation of agencies programme. In addition, my Department provides an interim service to the Adoption Authority in respect of financial services pending the establishment of their own finance function. ICT services are also being provided to the Adoption Authority by my Department on a shared service basis. A shared service is also being provided to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for their financial and ICT services. Clear guidelines and procedures in respect of the management of absenteeism have issued to all staff.

Full details in respect of the reforms and savings delivered within my Department and the wider health sector can be found on both my Department's website (www.doh.ie) and that of the national level implementation body (www.implementationbody.gov.ie)