Dan Boyle
Question:152 Mr. Boyle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if independently managed schools receive and are entitled to the same school health programme available in all other schools. [24819/04]
View answerWednesday, 13 October 2004
Questions (151)
Written answers
The statutory provision governing the school health examination service is outlined in section 66 of the Health Act 1970. The section provides that the children eligible for this service are pre-school and national school children. Section 66 also provides that a health board or authority may at its discretion provide child health examinations to children attending a school that is not a national school. Such discretion may be applied once the governing body of the school requests it. Thus, on receipt of an application under section 66(3), the chief executive officer of a health board or authority may discharge the statutory provisions of that section.
As part of the implementation process for the national health strategy, a review of all existing eligibility legislation is being undertaken in my Department. Arising from this review, legislation will be drafted to clarify and simplify eligibility and entitlements to health services in line with the goals and objectives set out in the strategy.