Deirdre Clune
Question:289 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the programme he will implement to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22151/00]
Written Answers. - Teenage Pregnancies.
The Government is committed to the continued development of measures to combat the incidence of unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.
Work is under way at the moment on the planning of a public education/information campaign, to be launched later in the year, which will be aimed at those aged 18 and upwards. This will seek to encourage responsibility in attitudes to relationships and sexual health and to inform and educate people about the range of issues involved. Among the issues to be addressed are the promotion of responsible behaviour among those who are sexually active; education about how pregnancy occurs, the effective use of contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted infection; cultivation of more responsible attitudes to alcohol, with particular regard to alcohol and sexual activity; and increased awareness of reproductive health and pregnancy counselling services.
This year an additional £1.6 million has been provided to health boards for the development of family planning and pregnancy counselling services. Health boards have been asked to concentrate service developments on measures aimed at reducing unwanted pregnancies in the 15-34 age group and among the initiatives being undertaken are the funding of additional GP family planning clinics; the recruitment of additional personnel to work in the area of teenage pregnancy and support for single parents; and increased grant aid to voluntary organisations providing family planning/pregnancy counselling services.
Bernard Allen
Question:290 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the provisions in place to ensure that all members of health boards make a declaration of interest. [22153/00]
The health boards were set up under the Health Act, 1970. The Second Schedule of the Health Act, 1970, outlines the rules in relation to membership and meetings of health boards. Section 30 of the second schedule states that "A member of the board who has: – (a) any interest in any company or concern with which the board proposes to make any contact, or (b) any interest in any contract which the board proposes to make, shall disclose to the board the fact of the interest and the nature thereof, and shall take no part in any deliberation or decision of the board relating to the contract, and any such disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes of the board." In addition, my Department has circulated health boards with the Department of Finance's guidelines for State bodies, which outlines procedures for the disclosure of interests by members of boards or state bodies.
Health boards are not currently designated under the Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995. The process to have them designated has been initiated and discussions are ongoing.