News

The Minister for Health has published the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 to consolidate arrangements for various offices under the aegis of the Department of Health.  The Bill provides for the establishment of the Office for Older People and the integration of health services agencies in line with the objectives of the Health Service Reform Programme and Government policy on the rationalisation of public sector agencies.

Specifically the Bill provides for

• the dissolution of the National Council of Ageing and Older People and the Women’s Health Council and the transfer of their employees assets and liabilities to the Department
• the dissolution of the National Cancer Screening Service Board, the Drug Treatment Centre Board and the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and the transfer of their employees assets and liabilities to the Health Service Executive
  

The Bill also provides for technical amendments to the Health Act 2007 and for other technical amendments to the health sector superannuation scheme and to provisions of the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act 1997.