170. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 409 of 1 October 2019, if the HSE has established a working group to examine the constitution of a core specialist palliative care service including both pay and non-pay costs with a view to achieving full statutory funding of core services (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the core funding report is completed and was sent to HSE in early 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41391/19]

As this is in relation to a working group established by the Health Service Executive, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.