Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to comments by the Minister for Health in the Northern Assembly (details supplied); if he will commit to working with his Northern Assembly counterpart to explore fully an all-island solution for the provision of paediatric congenital cardiac services and that service will prioritise the needs of children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41626/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The North-South Feasibility Study, finalised in 2009, examined the potential for joint co-operation in health across an extensive range of health and social care services. It set out 10 priority recommendations and many of these are already being taken forward. Areas of ongoing collaboration include - child protection, cancer research, health promotion, suicide prevention, radiotherapy services, paediatric congenital cardiac surgery and a range of initiatives under the Interreg IVA funding initiative. The Study was published on the websites of the Irish Department of Health and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland last December.

At a departmental level co-operation between the two jurisdictions is active and ongoing. "Transforming Your Care: a Review of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland." also recommends co-operation on a number of key issues. My officials are liaising with their counterparts in the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland on how to progress these issues.

With specific reference to Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, Dublin 12 has since 2009 been assisting the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust in providing Paediatric Congenital Cardiac Surgery Services to patients from Northern Ireland. Crumlin cared for 9 such patients in 2011 and this year it is expected that over 20 such cases will be carried out Crumlin.

There have been two meetings between the Department of Health and the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety and contacts are continuing with a view to determining as soon as possible how best an all Island service might be established and how soon this could be realised if it is determined, through consultation, to be the optimum solution.

I am committed to working together with my Northern colleagues on issues of common concern and benefit. This is of particular relevance in the current time when both jurisdictions are implementing change and pushing forward health reform.