Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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211. To ask the Minister for Health the progress being made in relation to the All-Ireland Network Board, established to oversee the creation of a single, all-island treatment network for congenital heart disease, and to ensure that all children have access to the highest standard of cardiac care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17637/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The creation of a single, all-island treatment network for Congenital Heart Disease, ensuring that all children have access to the highest standard of cardiac care, is the subject of very active engagement between my Department and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. It is my Department’s view that the development of such a service is of grave importance to a cohort of clinically vulnerable children on the island of Ireland, and consequently is both ethically and clinically the correct course of action to pursue.

A Business Case was prepared, with the assistance of the appropriate stakeholders in both jurisdictions, and outlines the plans and the associated costings for the medium to long term development of the Network. The Business Case is intended to form the basis for formal engagement between the CHD Network Board and both Departments in terms of implementing an all island paediatric cardiology model of care. This Business Case was submitted to my Department and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and is currently under consideration. It is anticipated that both Departments will be in a position to make an announcement on this matter very shortly.