Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the Programme for Government commitment to establish a Patient Safety Authority incorporating the Health Information Quality Authority; if he will outline the basis on which the Patient Safety Agency will be established; its role, function and authority; the difference between it and the Patient Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55014/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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In considering the options and possible organisational structures of the Patient Safety Agency (PSA) my Department has taken account of the international experience and the existing and emerging structures and organisations in the Irish system. A key issue highlighted by the international experience is that regulation and the broader quality improvement and patient safety agenda may not be best suited together within one agency and that regulation should maintain its independence and remain separate. I am persuaded by this aspect of the international experience and, therefore, our planning is on the basis that the Health formation and Quality Authority would maintain its role of health and social care regulator.

The role and inter-relationship of the PSA with the reforming health system needs to be carefully designed and developed. My Department is liaising with the Health Service Executive on the details surrounding the establishment of the PSA to ensure an identifiable and distinct leadership responsibility for patient safety and quality at national level having regard to the need for a robust quality and safety function within the new delivery structures of the Reform Programme. The functions eventually allocated to the PSA may include patient advocacy, development of leadership capacity in healthcare, development and delivery of patient safety training and education programmes and compilation and dissemination of learning from adverse events in the healthcare system. Our intention is to establish a Patient Safety Agency on an administrative basis in 2013. The optimum statutory framework for the PSA will be identified and developed in the light of experience over time.