Departmental Priorities.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004

Thursday, 28 October 2004

Ceisteanna (192)

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

192 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the five measurable performance indicators which she regards as targets of greatest priority within her Department; the way in which this measure has changed in each year since 1997; her views on whether confining priorities to five indicators gives too partial a picture of departmental priorities; and if she will indicate the movement over the period 1997 to 2004 of other primary indicators of performance. [26706/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children (Ms Harney)

The development of performance indicators in relation to the services funded by my Department is a continuing process which has been carried out jointly with the health boards. It would not be possible to effectively measure the performance to the entire health and personnel social services concerned by way of just five performance indicators. My Department, in conjunction with the health boards, has been developing a range of performance indicators in association with service plan developments. A suite of 84 indicators have been specified to cover all services funded by my Department. Because these indicators are still developmental in nature, in many cases, and have only been in use, in the main, during the past three to four years it would not be possible to present a picture of the movement of these indicators since 1997.