asked the Minister for Health if he has plans to reduce the number of health boards.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Boards.
8.
I have no plans to reduce the number of health boards.
Would the Minister agree that the health boards are in urgent need of reform and democratisation? There is a feeling that they are aloof from the people and are not accountable to the Department of Health, to this House or to the local authorities. Would the Minister further agree that the spending of the health boards is not adequately monitored since the auditing of the health board accounts is in arrears and, again, there is no direct accountability either to this House or the local authorities? Because of those two points I ask the Minister to reconsider this matter.
I am satisfied the health boards are representative of the people, the local authority and the professional people working in the health service.
They are not representative of the people of Galway city.
They are subject to local government audit in the same way as other local authorities.
The Minister will be aware that the local government audit in most cases is seriously in arrears. Will he agree that the health boards are topheavy at board level and programme manager level and that there is urgent need for reform? The whole system lacks accountability and any sort of credibility.
We are examining reform in the health boards. The Deputy's question refers specifically to the number of health boards, and it is not my intention to reduce the number. My intention is to review the structures in the health boards particularly in relation to the programmes and whether there should be a general manager in a geographic area.
I do not know how the Minister can claim the local authorities are represented on the health boards when he has denied the County Borough of Galway representation on the health board since he came into office and it has been denied since January 1986. For a period of two years one of the major local authorities has had no representation——
The Deputy is raising a separate matter altogether.
When will the Minister give approval to that?
We are considering the structures in the health boards and representation from other authorities such as the County Borough of Galway will be considered in that context. The county councils and the boroughs of Dublin, Limerick, Waterford and Cork are represented on the health boards. Many of the local authorities are not but we will be considering the question in relation to Galway.
You can keep saying that forever.
How much was spent by health boards in the most recent year for which the Minister has figures? How can he be satisfied with the current audit situation and the accountability that appertains in the health boards?
The Deputy has already adverted to that aspect of the matter.
They lack accountability either to Parliament or the local authority. Will the Minister agree there is need for reform here? How much did the health boards spend in total last year?
That is a separate question but the amount was approximately £750 million.
The Minister in replying to the supplementary gave no clear indication of when he was going to give representation on the Western Health Board to the County Borough of Galway.
I have already said that is a separate question.
Can the Minister say why he is delaying making this decision?
I refuse to permit irrelevancies of this kind.
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy should put down a question on that matter. I call Question No. 9.
The question has been put down——
Question No. 9 has been called.
I wish to give notice of my intention to raise this matter on the Adjournment tonight.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
The Western Health Board——
This question asks what plans the Minister may have to reduce the number of health boards, full stop.
The Minister continues to deny representation to Galway city.