Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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32. To ask the Minister for Health if he has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the re-activation of the National Treatment Purchase Fund; if he will publish this; the number of patients who will be treated in public beds using the fund; how he will ensure that the diverting of millions of euro in funding from the public health system will address the underlying causes of excessive waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13736/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Currently, in accordance with Reg 4(1) of the NTPF Board (Establishment) Order 2004, the NTPF is directed to carry out activities in respect of data and analytics, audit and quality assurance of waiting lists and pricing under the Nursing Home Support Scheme. The NTPF supports the management of in-patient, day-case and outpatient waiting lists, by working with the HSE to assist hospitals in developing local demand and capacity planning and providing technical guidance materials to ensure the highest standard of data quality and practice.

The expertise amassed by the NTPF in respect of waiting lists has proven invaluable in assisting the HSE to administer previous waiting list initiatives and in carrying out smaller-scale targeted initiatives in areas such as endoscopy. In respect of the commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government to provide €15m to the NTPF in 2017 to address waiting lists, this commitment seeks to utilise the expertise of that agency to further assist the HSE in addressing specific waiting list pressures.

The future role of the NTPF will be considered in the context of the wider Health Reform Programme. No decision has been taken as to whether this will include direct procurement of patient treatment by the NTPF and therefore a requirement for a cost benefit analysis of the reactivation of the NTPF has not arisen.

My Department will engage with the NTPF and the HSE regarding the development of the Programme for a Partnership Government initiative. As has been the case with previous initiatives, Hospital Groups will be requested to identify insourced capacity in the first instance, with activity outsourced only where insufficient capacity and/or consultant availability exists to ensure patient treatment in a timely fashion.