asked the Taoiseach if he will give an indication of when it is proposed to introduce the necessary legislation for the establishment of the proposed new Ministry of Health.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Proposed New Ministry of Health.
As I have already explained on more than one occasion to the Dáil, there is a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health who devotes himself almost exclusively to public health and associated matters and to whom have been delegated by an Order made by the Government certain powers, functions and duties of the Minister under the Public Health Acts, the Public Assistance Acts, the National Health Insurance Acts and so on. These arrangements have now been in operation for a considerable time and it may be said that the public health services are being administered almost as if they were comprised in a separate Department. The legislation to complete the separation of services and to set up the new Department will be introduced as soon as the Government consider that the time is fully ripe. At the moment I am not in a position to specify the time more precisely.