Enda Kenny
Question:64 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason she has not appointed a National Health Council since the expiry of the term of office of the last council on 31 March 1988.
Written Answers. - National Health Council.
In the period since the expiry of the term of office of the most recent National Health Council, a number of specialist reports have been commissioned by my Department in relation to specific aspects of the health services. These reports include the report of the Commission on Health Funding and the reports of the Dublin Hospital Initiative Group.
The commissioning of such reports reflects to a large extent the diversity and complexity of the range of health services being provided from public funds and the need to maximise efficiency and effectiveness within the limited available resources. Specialist advisory groups have been set up to examine such issues rather than refer them to the more broadly based National Health Council.
It was for this reason that my predecessor did not see the need to reappoint members to this council since 1988. While I am satisfied the approach adopted by my predecessor was the correct one, the issue of appropriate advisory arrangements will be considered in the context of the implementation of the recently announced Government decisions on the re-structuring of the health services.