Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 December 2005
202 Mr. Blaney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the timescale set out by the parliamentary affairs division for replying to parliamentary questions referred by her that relate to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37978/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrior to the establishment of the Health Service Executive, parliamentary questions concerning access to services, by individuals or in specific geographic areas, were referred to the chief executive officer of the relevant health board-ERHA for direct reply. Pursuant to the Health Act 2004, the functions of the health boards-ERHA were transferred to the HSE. Under the Act, the HSE has responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to have delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The establishment of the HSE brought into being a new unitary system for the delivery and management of health services at local, regional and national level. The move to the new structure presented an opportunity for an improved service for providing information to Oireachtas Members. Last April, the HSE established a parliamentary affairs division which provides a central contact for all Oireachtas requests for information relating to matters within the statutory remit of the executive.
The executive has guidelines in place as to the timeframe within which final replies should issue direct to Deputies in regard to queries raised in parliamentary questions. In that connection, the executive aims to operate within a timeframe of 20 working days from the date of answer of a parliamentary question. This timeframe reflects the arrangements which the former health boards-ERHA had adopted prior to the HSE's establishment. This is a starting point and the HSE is committed to reducing this period as it develops its organisational and information capacity going forward. The HSE endeavours to provide more immediate responses in instances where the information sought in the question is of a routine nature or is readily available.
