The provisions of section 79 of the Health Act 2004 provide for the making by the Minister for Health and Children of regulations regarding the dealings between the Health Service Executive and Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It provides that these regulations will relate to the supply by the executive of specified documents or specified information to Members of either House of the Oireachtas; correspondence by the executive with those Members and such other matters considered appropriate by the Minister. I intend to bring forward the necessary regulations to bring section 79 into operation later this year.
The executive is already engaged in making arrangements to establish an administrative division with responsibility for parliamentary affairs. I understand that current preparations aim to have this division initially operational before the beginning of the next Oireachtas session, with further development taking place during the year.