Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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125. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the date in 2018 when the business case for a national electronic health record proposal was rejected by his Department; if he plans to review the criteria used in deciding the business case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5938/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR) sets overall capital expenditure ceilings for all spending Departments. Once these have been agreed by Government, it is a matter for individual Departments to prioritise projects within these ceilings. In this context, the Department of Health is responsible for the development and planning of proposals in relation to all health ICT projects within its multi annual capital expenditure allocations. Business cases for these proposals are required to consider a range of issues such costs, feasibility as well as risk management (identification and mitigation of relevant risks).  

In this context, DPENDPDR received iterations of the Acute Electronic Health Record business case in 2018 and provided feedback and advice to the Department of Health at regular intervals as part of the normal form of inter-Departmental engagement on these matters. Amongst others, this included explaining the need to ensure appropriate Government approvals and funding were in place prior to the beginning of any procurement process.

In 2019, the Department of Health in 2019 sought and obtained Government approval to begin the procurement process for the tendering of the National Children’s Hospital component of this project. Details in relation to the planning, appraisal and timelines for the implementation of the overall eHealth strategy including the business case for a national electronic health record system are ultimately matters for the Department of Health. This Department has not received a revised business case on the proposed national electronic health record system.