Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 January 2010
120 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of bodies and agencies operated under the remit of her Department; the cost of each on a yearly basis; the name and number that have been abolished in the past four years; the name and number that have been amalgamated; the name of those to be abolished or amalgamated in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2746/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of the number of bodies and agencies operated under the remit of my Department, the cost of each on a yearly basis, and the name and number that have been abolished in the past four years is being compiled by my Department and will be forwarded to the deputy when available.
With regard to the number of agencies that have been amalgamated, the position is that the Government's programme of rationalisation of agencies in the health sector has been actively progressed by my Department and considerable progress has been made in implementing the programme to date. The primary aim of this ambitious programme is to streamline service delivery, professional registration and policy making in a number of areas in the health sector, through the integration and/or amalgamation of functions.
The progress to date is as follows. The Post Graduate Medical & Dental Board was successfully rationalised into the HSE on 1st January, 2009. The National Council on Aging & Older People and the Women's Health Council were successfully subsumed into the Department of Health and Children in 2009. The Crisis Pregnancy Agency was subsumed into HSE in January 2010 and the Drug Treatment Centre Board is due to follow early in 2010.
Legislation is required to facilitate the rationalization of the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council, the National Social Work Qualifications Board and the Opticians Board into the Health & Social Care Professionals Council. It is envisaged that the legislation will be finalised during 2010.
The Government approved the inclusion of provisions in the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 to disestablish the Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) and to subsume some of its functions into the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on an administrative basis. The Bill was published on 16th September 2009 and it is expected that the Bill will be brought forward in 2010. It is intended that the CAAB staff will move to the Department on an administrative basis until such time as the Bill is enacted.
Legislation is already in place to facilitate the rationalisation of the National Cancer Screening Service into the HSE in mid 2010 and arrangements are underway in this regard. The dissolution of the National Cancer Registry and the transfer of its staff to the HSE will be dealt with under the Health Information Bill. Legislation is required to merge the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery and assign its responsibilities to An Bord Altranais and the Health Service Executive. The new Nurses and Midwives Bill has been drafted and Government approval will be sought regarding the text of the Bill and seeking permission to publish the Bill in the near future.
