Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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268. To ask the Minister for Health the obligation he or the HSE has to engage with the public or patients regarding health service planning, for example on the reconfiguration of acute hospital services; the legislative or statutory basis for this obligation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40157/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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269. To ask the Minister for Health the avenues available to persons to be involved in decisions regarding health service planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40172/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 268 and 269 together.

Among the overarching principles that underpin governance arrangements in the Department of Health are those of openness, effective public consultation processes and comprehensive engagement with stakeholders. I would like to emphasise both my own and my Department’s commitment to openness and transparency in all aspects of our work, including engagement and communication with the public, service users, public representatives and stakeholders generally. This is in line with commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government and in Working Better Together, the Department's organisational change programme. Consultation is now a core feature of initiatives and policy developments across the health area, with a view to supporting considered, evidence based policy making. My Department's website includes details of various public consultations, involving calls for submissions on various policy and strategic initiatives by the Department, including those still underway.

The recently published National Cancer Strategy 2017 - 2026 provides a good example of this. A Cancer Patient Forum was established as part of the strategy development process to represent the views of patients and patient groups and to enable them to inform the development of the strategy. In addition, a public consultation was undertaken to obtain the views of the public and of organisations on current cancer services and priorities for the future.

The 2004 Health Act also provides for mechanisms for consultation on health service planning. Section 42 of the Act provides for the establishment of not more than four Regional Health Forums, the membership of which is composed of members nominated by city and county councils. The Regulations providing for the establishment of the Regional Health Forums, the Health Act 2004 (Regional Health Forums) Regulations 2005, were made on 12 December 2005 and provided for the establishment of the Forums on 1 January 2006.

The function of the Regional Health Forums, as set out in the 2004 Act, is to provide local public representatives with an opportunity to make representations to the Health Service Executive on the range and operation of health and personal social services in their area and ensure that such public representatives would continue to be heard in relation to the operation and development of health and personal social services in their areas.

I have asked the HSE to respond direct to the Deputy in relation to the avenues they make available to the public for involvement in decisions regarding health service planning.