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30/10/2009
Under Half Of Medical Questions Answered In Dáil
An Irish medical journey has revealed the Minister for Health has answered just 45% of parliamentary questions put to her during Dáil question time this year.
The figures revealed today by the Irish Medical Times showed that out of the 4,296 parliamentary questions (PQs) received by the Department of Health up to October 8, just 1,928 were actually answered by the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, or her department during Ministerial question time.
According to the journal, some 2,040 PQs, representing 47%, had been fully referred on to the Health Service Executive, as they related to operational matters within the health services.
Meanwhile, a further 306 questions were only partially referred to the Executive, with 22 either fully or partially passed on to other agencies.
This years figure is an improvement however, as last year just 41% of PQs – 2,526 out of a total received of 6,139 – were answered fully. Exactly half were fully referred on to the HSE, the journal says.
The ministries' failure to answer questions are contravening Daíl PQs policy, after a timeframe of 15 working days for replies was introduced in 2008 for parliamentary questions.
The most recent statistics provided to the Department of Health by the HSE said that during January to October this year, just 62% of questions were answered before the 15-day deadline.
(DW/KMcA)
The figures revealed today by the Irish Medical Times showed that out of the 4,296 parliamentary questions (PQs) received by the Department of Health up to October 8, just 1,928 were actually answered by the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, or her department during Ministerial question time.
According to the journal, some 2,040 PQs, representing 47%, had been fully referred on to the Health Service Executive, as they related to operational matters within the health services.
Meanwhile, a further 306 questions were only partially referred to the Executive, with 22 either fully or partially passed on to other agencies.
This years figure is an improvement however, as last year just 41% of PQs – 2,526 out of a total received of 6,139 – were answered fully. Exactly half were fully referred on to the HSE, the journal says.
The ministries' failure to answer questions are contravening Daíl PQs policy, after a timeframe of 15 working days for replies was introduced in 2008 for parliamentary questions.
The most recent statistics provided to the Department of Health by the HSE said that during January to October this year, just 62% of questions were answered before the 15-day deadline.
(DW/KMcA)
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