Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Ceist:10 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date in implementing the report of the Primary Care Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22914/02]
Vol. 557 No. 6
10 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date in implementing the report of the Primary Care Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22914/02]
A range of steps has been taken to date in the implementation of the primary care strategy, "Primary Care: A New Direction". In the first place, I established the primary care task force in April 2002. It has responsibility for driving the implementation of the changes and developments set out in the model. To begin the process of implementation of the new primary care model, the primary care task force prioritised the selection of locations for a number of initial primary care implementation projects.
In October 2002 I gave approval to the first ten such projects. These projects will involve putting in place in ten locations around the country a primary care team which will include general practitioners, nurses, midwives, health care assistants, home helps, an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, a social worker and administrative personnel. The projects will build on the services and resources already in place in the ten locations involved so as to develop over the coming months a primary care team in line with the interdisciplinary model described in the strategy. These teams will include general practitioners, nurses, midwives, health care assistants, home helps, an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, a social worker and management – administrative personnel. The areas where the ten implementation projects will be located are Virginia, County Cavan; Lifford, County Donegal; Ballymun, Dublin; south inner city, Dublin; Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry; Portarlington, County Laois; west County Limerick; Erris Peninsula, County Mayo; Cashel, County Tipperary, and Arklow, County Wicklow. I have provided funding totalling €8.4 million for this purpose in 2002 and 2003.