Ceist:
91 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Health and Children the priorities for Comhairle na nOspidéal; and the way in which he decided on recent appointments to the Comhairle board. [5505/01]
Written Answers. - Comhairle na nOspidéal.
Comhairle na nOspidéal is a statutory body established under the Health Act, 1970. The main function of Comhairle is to regulate the number and type of consultant and senior registrar appointments and to specify qualifications for these posts. The board sets its own priorities in accordance with its statutory obligations. In relation to appointments, the constitution of the Comhairle is governed by the Health (Hospital Bodies) Regulations, 1972, as amended. These regulations provide for a membership of 27, including not less than fourteen persons who are registered medical practitioners engaged in a consultant capacity in the provision of hospital services. The regulations also stipulate that all persons appointed to the Comhairle shall be selected for appointment by the Minister for Health and Children. It has been the practice over the years for each Minister to consult with a number of bodies prior to making the final decision on the appointments to the board.
On this occasion, I consulted with a range of bodies including all of the health boards, voluntary hospitals, and major organisations such as the Irish Medical Organisation, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. As a result, I received a large number of nominations for appointment to the board. I considered all of these carefully, having regard to the statutory requirements, the need to achieve a wide geographical spread, the value of representing a large number of consultant specialties, and the need to ensure an appropriate gender balance. In this regard, I am pleased to say that thirteen of the twenty seven appointments made to the board were women, representing 48% of the total.