Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State and the Bill to the House. It is administrative legislation, in that it tidies up a situation. The Government and the Department received legal advice to the effect that the Bill was required to transfer this aspect of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service's work to St. James's Hospital. It is a short Bill of just three sections and the Minister of State outlined its purpose.

The Bill covers a small number of people, but it is important that proper and correct structures and procedures be put in place. This is what the Bill achieves in respect of the approximately 2,000 people who are directly or indirectly affected. It is a question of learning from mistakes and tidying up the existing legislation to ensure there are no loopholes. The Bill addresses these issues where the management of this important process is concerned. All of the parties involved - the Department of Health, the HSE, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, IBTS, St. James's Hospital and the Irish Haemophilia Society - agree with the proposals and the administrative arrangements being made to prepare for the change envisioned in the Bill. Although the amount of work being done will increase, the cost will not. This is welcome.

I welcome the Bill. It is important that its provisions be put in place at an early date.