Written Answers. - Proposed Legislation.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:
159
Ms F. Fitzgerald
asked the
Minister for Health
the proposals for legislation being prepared under the auspices of his Department that have not yet been published; and the statutory instruments being prepared in his Department.
[19385/96]
Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:
Section A
Legislation to strengthen accountability in the health boards and to clarify the respective functions of health boards and their chief executive officers is being drafted at present and will be published shortly.
Proposals in relation to the restructuring of the Eastern Health Board are in preparation.
Proposals for amending adoption legislation to address the issues raised in the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Keegan v. Ireland is in the course of preparation. This will involve giving the fathers of non-marital children a greater say in the adoption process.
New regulations are required to give full effect to Parts VII and VIII of the Child Care Act 1991 and these are at present under preparation in my Department. In accordance with the timescale determined by the Government it is intended that the Act in its entirety will be implemented by the end of the current year.
Consultations are in progress with the interested parties on the "Registration of Certain Designated Health and Social Professions". It is anticipated that Draft Heads of a Bill will be circulated for comments to other Government Departments by the end of the year.
Following the publication of the Green Paper on Mental Health in 1992 and the White Paper — A New Mental Health Act — 1995 the drafting of heads of a Bill and a general scheme are at an advanced stage of preparation and will shortly be presented by me to Government for approval.
A revision of the Nurses Act 1985. This is included in the current Government legislative schedule and it is anticipated that the Bill will be ready for publication in Autumn 1996.
Amendment of the Medical Practitioners Act 1978.
Section B
Statutory Instrument under the terms of the Health (Corporate Bodies Act 1961 to establish a corporate body to take over the maintenance and management of services of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
Statutory Instrument under section 76 of the Health Act 1970, to amend the charter of the Adelaide Hospital, in order to facilitate the transfer of services from the Adelaide, Meath and National Children's Hospitals to the Tallaght Hospital.
Statutory Instruments are being prepared to give effect to the two EU Directives, as follows:
Council Directive 93/43 EEC on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs.
Council Directive 93/99/EEC on the subject of additional measures concerning the Official Control of Foodstuffs.
A revision of the Disabled Persons (Rehabilitation) Regulations 1973 consequent on the transfer of the Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance to the Department of Social Welfare. The operative date of these regulations will depend on the agreed date of the transfer of disabled person's maintenance allowance.
Medical Preparations (Licensing of Manufacture) (Amendment) Regulations
Medical Preparations (Wholesale Licences) (Amendment) Regulations
Medical Preparations (Licensing and Sale) (Amendment) Regulations
Irish Medicines Board (Fees) Regulations
European Communities (Cosmetic Products) (Amendment) Regulations
Tobacco Products (Control of Advertising, Sponsorship and Sales Promotion) (Amendment) Regulations.
Statutory Instruments relating to the area of private health insurance are being finalised at present in my Department:
Registration Regulations,
Open Enrolment Regulations,
Lifetime Cover Regulations,
Minimum Benefit Regulations,
Risk Equalisation Regulations.
A statutory instrument to amend the Establishment Order for the National Cancer Registry Board is currently under preparation in my Department.
European Communities (Criteria of Acceptability for Radiodiagnostic and Nuclear Medicine Installations) Regulations.
Section C
Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, (Controlled Drug), Declaration Order 1996.
This Government Order will in turn give rise to the following:-
Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations 1996.
Misuse of Drugs Exemption (Amendment Order 1996)
These Orders and Regulations are required in order to enable Ireland to comply with it's national obligations under the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971, as amended. The additional substances were added to the list of substances under international control by virtue of this convention and as a consequence they are subject to the appropriate control in this country.
