Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Níls have it indeed.

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 13, to delete lines 14 to 18 and substitute the following:“(4) (a) The Minister shall put in place measures to ensure that an individual’s individual health identifier will be made known to him or her as of right (or, in the case of a deceased individual, to be made known to the individual’s personal representative).”.

This amendment seeks to change the text of subsection 5(4)(a), which currently reads: "The Minister may put in place measures...". I have not held to the exact same words, but the critical change is that the word "shall" replaces the word "may". The Minister's text reads that the Minister "may" put in place measures to assist in enabling an individual's health identifier to be made known to him or her. I am very much of the view that the Minister should do this in any event. Again, on Committee Stage the Minister argued that it is not an essential requirement and that there would be cost implications. I am speaking here for many citizens when I say that with the allocation of an individual health identifier number, many of us would like to know exactly what that number is and what it references. We know from the exchanges we had on Committee Stage that it does not allow for access to clinical detail relating to an individual's historical health circumstances. However, it is important information. It is data held on each and every one of us. I would certainly like to know my IHI number, as I know my PPS number and many other numbers relevant to my life. The Minister is not committing to sharing that information. The Bill only provides that he or she "may" do so, as the case might be. I believe it is an important right of the individual and the citizen to know his or her health identifier number. I can imagine a myriad of circumstances in which knowing that number would be advantageous or helpful and could be of importance healthwise, if not live-saving. Again, I put the case to the Minister that the amendment seeking to change lines 14 to 18 through the substitution I have presented would be not only an improvement but a welcome one that many would understand and support.

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