Seanad debates
Wednesday, 25 June 2003
Council Regulation on Procedures for amending the Sirene Manual: Referral to Joint Committee. - Health Service Reform: Statements (Resumed).
Reference was made to a health and information authority. We have not always had good experiences of setting up new authorities. One cannot, for example, question Ministers about issues or raise issues in the Seanad. I think in particular of the National Roads Authority. The health boards have had many successful schemes and they have produced many new initiatives, such as the drug free cafes in Galway which we would like to see extended to smaller towns. The housing aid for the elderly scheme has been a tremendous success in the Western Health Board region. Approximately 1,200 projects were carried out last year, many of them through FÁS. I hope that scheme continues in the future.
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