The Government's decision of June 2003 on the health services reform programme, will consolidate the multiplicity of different structures within a single agency, the Health Service Executive, HSE. To that end, I propose to submit a new Health Bill to Government shortly which will deal with the establishment of the Health Service Executive.
The new Health Bill will also provide for the establishment of regional forums by me as the Minister for Health and Children, following consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Members will be nominated to the forums by the city and county councils in each forum's functional area. The objective of the regional forums will be to enable informed dialogue and consultation between the Health Service Executive and the public at local level. The operation of the regional forums will complement the role of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in reflecting the views of public representatives in the ongoing oversight of the health system.
The board of the interim Health Service Executive was set up last November. Under its establishment order, the interim executive has responsibility, subject to ministerial approval, to plan the establishment of a national unified structure for the delivery of health services. This includes responsibility for the integration of the management, administrative and service delivery structures of the health boards.
The Government decision provided that the primary, continuing and community care directorate, to be established within the HSE, would be supported by a network of four regional health offices, and the existing community care areas based on 32 local health offices.
On foot of proposals from the interim Health Service Executive, the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, on 28 September 2004 jointly announced with Mr. Kevin Kelly, executive chairman of the interim HSE, the four regional areas of the HSE.
As proposed by the interim Health Service Executive, the local health office will be the primary service delivery unit in each community, and the regional health offices will co-ordinate services where they span more than one local area and will be responsible for performance management, translating national policies through the local areas and gathering and relaying information on a regional basis. Interaction with local communities and their elected public representatives will also be a part of their functions. It is envisaged that they will employ somewhere in the region of 25 to 35 staff.