Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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1013. To ask the Minister for Health the details of each body or organisation that is scheduled to receive in excess of €1 million from his Department's Vote of expenditure or the group of votes of expenditure connected with his Department in 2017 for the provision of services by the body or the organisation concerned; the amount involved in each case; if there is a signed service level agreement in place in respect of the services to be carried out by these bodies or organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36159/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health provides grants to a number of organisations, details of which are published in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2017 (Vote 38), available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform website at

Part III of Vote 38 gives details of the agencies directly funded by my Department. These are primarily research, developmental, consultative, supervisory, regulatory and advisory bodies, rather than bodies providing social services to the public. Letters of Determination issue to each agency at the beginning of the year setting out the funding and monitoring arrangements. Service Plans are produced by each agency identifying the range of services planned for the year within the approved budget allocation and these are monitored by my Department.

Last October my Department wrote to the HSE setting out its 2017 net expenditure determination together with key considerations to inform the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the National Service Plan (NSP). The net non-capital expenditure that may be incurred by the HSE for the financial year 2017 is €13,911.979 million. The HSE subsequently submitted the NSP setting out the level of health services to be provided within the available funding.

In 2016 just under €3.8 billion of the HSE’s total expenditure related to grants to outside agencies. The legal framework under which the HSE provides grant funding to agencies is set out in the Health Act 2004. The HSE has a Governance Framework in place which incorporates national standardised documentation and guidance documents that enables the HSE to contractually underpin the grant-funding provided to all Non-Statutory Service Providers. This Framework seeks to ensure the standard and consistent application of good governance principles, which are robust and effective, to ensure that both the HSE and the Providers meet their respective obligations. It is reviewed and updated as required. Service Providers which provide services under either Section 38 or Section 39 of the Health Act and which are in receipt of in excess of €250,000 annually are required to sign a standard Service Arrangement.

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy with details of the relevant agencies to which it provides funding.