Health Service Executive

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Ceisteanna (792)

David Cullinane

Ceist:

792. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that in a case in which a Parliamentary Question is asked which seeks information across the public health service and which is then referred to the HSE, that the reply is wholly sufficient by providing information sought which is available at hospital, hospital group or CHO-level or otherwise held by a body such as a public voluntary hospital but not centrally reported, which is relevant to answering the question; if he will ensure that this information is sought by the HSE in preparing a response for the question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17819/22]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

Ensuring the accuracy of responses to Parliamentary Questions is a priority for me, my Department and for the HSE. To this end, I and my Department work closely with the HSE to ensure that all Parliamentary Questions are responded to properly and that all appropriate information is included in the response to any given Parliamentary Question.   

Where it is not possible to provide a wholly sufficient response within the standard time-frame, either my Department or the HSE, as appropriate, will notify the relevant TD’s office of this and identify a revised timeframe for the provision of the response. Please be advised that the sourcing of relevant information from third parties may give rise to such an eventuality.  

My Department has brought your particular concern, regarding information which may be relevant to a given Parliamentary Question but which is not centrally reported, to the attention of the HSE, and will engage with them on this matter. 

If there are specific response(s) to Parliamentary Questions with which you were not satisfied, or which did not contain the required level of detail, officials in my Department are available to engage with your office and the HSE to address this matter and come to a resolution.