The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. This includes responsibility for the provision of health services in County Wicklow. Accordingly, my Department has been advised by the HSE that Baltinglass District Hospital covers a very wide catchment area for west Wicklow and has lengthy waiting lists for both extended care and respite care. Rathdown Hospital, St. Colman's, serves the east Wicklow area. The HSE has advised that the catchment areas for both hospitals were redefined in the newly created community care areas in 2000. The former South Eastern Health Board, the south-east area of the Health Service Executive, caters for patients in County Carlow. The HSE south-western area has advised that it has no immediate plans to change the catchment area for the Baltinglass District Hospital from the existing catchment area.