Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health in view of the current Health Service Executive budget overrun and consequent cuts in essential services, his views on whether energy costs across the health sector, estimated by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, at €80 million a year at least, should be reduced by up to 20% on an urgent basis; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that existing voluntary projects show the potential for such savings by implementing targeted and low-cost energy efficiency programmes; the measures he and the HSE are taking to ensure that such savings are made within the next two years instead of the cutbacks to essential services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43317/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The HSE was one of the first bodies to join the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Public Sector Partnership Programme and is actively working with SEAI in developing various energy efficiency improvement programmes. Some of these programmes have featured in the recently published - Energy Use in the Public Sector. The HSE is committed to achieving savings through improved processes used in its energy procurement, including the use of best practice and expert opinion when procuring energy.