Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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114. To ask the Minister for Health the value of capital investment projects and grants under way or approved for funding by his Department, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39658/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In late September the Government announced the national capital envelope for the multi-annual period 2016-2021. The notified health capital envelope for this period is €3,061 million which includes an increase of €568 million. The following table shows the annual allocation.

These figures include an annual €15 million allocated to support my Department's internal ICT and equipping needs (circa €0.473 million annually) and the smaller statutory bodies under its aegis. Bodies such as the Health Research Board (HRB), the Health Information and Quality Authority, National Cancer Registry Ireland and CORU have national rather than county remits.

The HSE has been allocated €2,971 million, including the increase of €568 million, for its health facility construction and equipping and its Information and Communications Technology programmes.

In the context of this announcement the HSE is working on its next multi-annual Capital Plan 2016-2021 which, from a good practice perspective, must involve a review of all projects.This Plan requires my approval together with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It will include a schedule of projects to be delivered.The HSE will publish this schedule on its website when it has been approved.

The need for technology investment in our health service has been set out in the Government's eHealth strategy for Ireland document published in 2013. Investment in ICT including core infrastructure, a new financial operating model and electronic patient systems will help modernise the delivery of patient centred care and deliver timely and integrated information underpinning service delivery and decision making at all levels in the health system. This extended six year period will support technology modernisation and investment which is essential in underpinning patient safety and greater efficiency in care delivery and supporting health reform including activity based funding.

Increased funding becomes available in the later years and therefore there is potential scope for additional investment concentrated towards the end of the period.