Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 April 2004
279 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Health and Children if Statutory Instrument No. 90 of 2004 (details supplied) will be implemented; and the effect the statutory instrument will have on the Health Act 1970. [10467/04]
View answerI signed the Interim Health Service Executive (Establishment) Order 2004 (S.I. No. 90 of 2004) on 9 March 2004 and it was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 10 March. The order established the Interim Health Service Executive — the interim executive — as a corporate body under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961, as amended.
The establishment of the interim executive is a critically important part of the implementation of the health sector reform programme. The reform programme, which is based on recommendations in the Brennan and Prospectus reports, will introduce fundamental changes in the health services. One of the primary features is the abolition of the existing health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority to be replaced by a Health Service Executive.
Under the establishment order, the interim executive has been given the task of drawing up a plan for the Minister's approval for: the establishment of a unified management structure for the proposed new health service executive; the integration of the existing health board structures into the new health service executive; the streamlining of other statutory bodies, identified in the Prospectus report, to be incorporated in the new structure; the establishment of regional boundaries for the delivery of primary, community and continuing care services; the establishment of procedures to develop a national service plan for the delivery of health services; the establishment of appropriate structures and procedures to ensure the proper governance and accountability arrangements for the proposed health service executive; and the appointment of a chief executive officer.
The interim executive has also been given the task of making the necessary preparations to implement this plan, subject to ministerial approval, so as to ensure as smooth a transition as possible from the existing health board structure to the new health service executive structure. The interim executive will not have any implications for the current statutory role of the health boards and Eastern Regional Health Authority.
I will be bringing forward primary legislation at a later date which will provide the main legislative basis for the implementation of the health sector reform programme. It will establish the new health service executive to replace the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards. It will also provide the legislative basis for other aspects of the reform programme, such as improved governance and accountability, planning and monitoring and evaluation. The establishment of the health information and quality authority, HIQA, on a legislative basis will also be provided for.
As part of the phased implementation of the reform programme, I also intend to bring forward legislation dealing with the membership of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the area health boards and the health boards, the abolition of the distinction between reserved and executive functions and the assignment of reserved functions of the authority, the area health boards and the health boards to the chief executive officers and the Minister for Health and Children, as appropriate, and amendments to the Health Acts 1947 to 2001 to implement these proposals. I expect to be in a position to publish this Bill shortly.
