Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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646. To ask the Minister for Health the number of parliamentary questions that have been referred by him to the Health Service Executive for direct reply that have yet to be answered; the number of these questions that have been referred for more than two weeks, more than four weeks and more than eight weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48943/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The HSE target to answer 75% of PQs within 15 working days has been exceeded. As of 23rd October some 2,942 PQs have been referred to the HSE since 1 January 2013. Of these, 2,359 (80%) were answered within the time frame. 2,886 PQs (98% of referred PQs) have been responded to and 56 cases remain open.

Of those 56 Cases, almost half, (21 cases) were referred between 15th of October and the 22nd of October. Seventeen cases were referred between 1st of October and the 10th of October. The balance, (18 cases) were referred during the second part of September.

It should be noted that the number of PQs referred to the HSE for direct response PQs has increased by 60% since 2011.