Vol. 538 No. 1
170 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has sought an explanation from the Southern Health Board as to the reason it did not apply for funding for the coronary heart attack register pilot project until September 2000; the reason funding has not been made available to the Southern Health Board to date; and the issues which have held up the submission of the application and a decision thereon. [17365/01]
As part of the implementation of the Building Healthier Hearts strategy I am committed to the commencement of a pilot study of a hospital based heart attack register this year. There has been ongoing consultation between the Southern Health Board and my Department in relation to the commencement of this programme.
The Southern Health Board has now established a local steering committee to manage the project at local level and a national steering group will be established shortly. In May of this year my Department provided the funding for the commencement of this project and I understand that the Southern Health Board proposes to recruit a project manager to run the project as a matter of urgency.
