Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 1997

Vol. 478 No. 7

Written Answers - Semi-State Bodies.

Ivor Callely

Question:

79 Mr. Calley asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the new offices (details supplied) he has set up under the aegis of his Department; the number of staff in each office and their salaries; the cost of such offices; and the terms of reference or mission statement for each office. [12189/97]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The Office for Health Gain was established by the chief executive officers of the health boards to carry out appropriate activities on their behalf. It is the intention in the near future to establish the office on a statutory basis under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961.

The Irish Medicines Board was established on 1 January 1996. Its main functions are the licensing of the manufacture, preparation, importation, distribution and sale of medicinal products and to advise me and my Department in relation to such products. The board has a staff of 67 and total salary costs in 1996 were £1,691,826. It is self-funding and there is no cost to the Exchequer.

The Food Safety Advisory board was established in June 1995. Its function is to advise me and my Department and any other Government Minister on all matters relating to food safety. The board has a staff of two, one of whom is on secondment from my Department. The other staff member is a short-term contract. The board has a budget of £300,000 for 1997.

Legislation is being prepared which will provide for the establishment on a statutory basis of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The functions of the authority will be to ensure that all regulatory authorities have systems in place to promote the highest standards of food safety and hygiene and to monitor the effectiveness of such systems. It will take over the functions of the Food Safety Advisory Board.

An interim, non-statutory authority was appointed by me in November 1996 to prepare for the establishment of the statutory body. It is currently arranging for the recruitment of staff for the permanent authority. It does not have any staff of its own but it has retained the services of an administrator and a clerical officer on short-term contracts. It has a budget of £1.5 million for 1997.

The Health Service Employers Agency was established in July 1996. Its main functions are to support, and where appropriate, represent health service employers in the management of industrial relations with particular reference to national level issues relating to pay and conditions of employment. The agency has a staff of 11 at present. It has a budget of £430,000 for salaries in 1997 — based on a staff complement of 15. The agency's total budget for 1997, including salaries, is £992,000. The agency is funded by the health service employers it represents. The agency incorporates the Office of Health Management which has been established to provide a health service management centre and to implement the other high priority recommendations in the recently published report on a management development strategy for health and personal social services.