asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to amend section 41 of the 1970 Health Act.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Act Amendment.
25.
Section 41 of the Health Act, 1970 dealt with the establishment and functions of Comhairle na nOspidéal and the three regional hospital boards based in Dublin, Cork and Galway. It seems to be generally agreed now that the regional hospital boards are unnecessary and should be abolished and I would propose to ask the House on some suitable occasion to agree to amending legislation to discontinue these boards. I have no immediate plans to amend the legislation relating to Comhairle na nOspidéal but I would inform the Deputy that I propose in the present session introducing for approval new regulations concerned with the number of members and the appointment of members of the comhairle.
Would the Minister entertain the suggestion that the eight regional health boards might be empowered to appoint one or two members each to Comhairle na nOspidéal so that in that way there would be a direct link between the health boards, the comhairle and the Minister? Would the Minister accept that that might bring about a greater grasp of local problems in the operation of the comhairle?
It is proposed to increase the number of the comhairle slightly and I shall also be looking at the membership of the comhairle with a view to making sure that it adequately represents all regional interests.
Could the Minister say whether he has had requests from any organisations or individuals to amend section 41 so as to scrap the comhairle altogether?
I have had no formal representations of that sort. The Deputy knows it has been mentioned in the House in the course of debate.
Is the Minister not aware that apart from it being mentioned in the House there is a very extensive newspaper interview with one of his Deputies who stated that he anticipated the Minister agreeing to his suggestion that his party would vote to abolish Comhairle na nOspidéal?
I am not aware of that interview——
It is in the Irish Independent.
——but as indicated to the Deputy I have no proposal at present to amend the legislation governing the comhairle.
The Irish Independent of 26 August last.
I assure the Deputy that on 26 August last I was enjoying my holidays in a remote part of the country.
Question No. 26.
Would the Minister agree——
The Deputy has virtually monopolised Question Time with supplementaries not all of them relevant.
This is important. Section 41 deals with Comhairle na nOspidéal and I am anxious that the Minister place on record his appreciation of the difficult work that the comhairle have done over the last few years and give some indication of how he envisages the comhairle's operation during the course of their next session.
As I had indicated, I have been bringing regulations before the House in this session dealing with the comhairle, its composition and membership and that will give all of us an opportunity to say what we wish to say about the comhairle and its functions or anything else.
That will be in this session?
It has to be. The comhairle has to be reappointed before the end of this year.
We had better have a special session for health affairs this session.
It is an indication perhaps of the intensity with which the development of our health services are being pursued at present.