106 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, made by the advisory committees on technology assessment which were recommended by the health strategy document, Shaping a Healthier Future. [2005/97]

Limerick East): The precise nature of the advisory committee on health technology assessment is still under examination in the context of a review of the structures in other EU countries which is being carried out by my Department. The type of structures for health technology assessment in Ireland must take account of the relative size of the Irish health care system. Increasingly, health technology assessment is being seen in a transnational context with close contact between countries to avoid costly duplication.