Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 25:

In page 21, line 10, to delete “one” and substitute “not fewer than 3”.

Section 40H of the Health Act 2004 provides for an audit committee of the HSE. This section makes amendments to section 40H to take account of the move to a board governance structure, for example, providing that the audit committee is appointed by the board rather than by the director. The Bill currently provides that audit committee membership is to comprise the board members and no fewer than four external members. However, the Minister has considered this further and believes that some amendments should be made.

As the HSE is now to have an independent board, it is important in terms of good corporate governance that board members are now further represented on an audit committee as part of the audit planning and insurance process.

Amendment No. 25 therefore changes the composition of the audit committee. The amendment provides that not fewer than three members of the new HSE board will be on the audit committee. The audit committee will continue to have not fewer than four external members. In summary, this will mean that the audit committee will consist of not fewer than three board members and not fewer than four external members, with the relevant skills and experience.