Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

This section is a technical provision which enables the Minister, on commencement, to repeal certain provisions of the Acts of 1947, 1970, 1996 and 1999. Subsection (2) is a saver for the provisions of the Health Board Regulations 1970, which established the health boards, apart from the ERHA and the area health boards, and defined their functional area. It is required to ensure the boards can continue to operate in their functional areas following the commencement of the section. If this section was deleted, the Bill would be inoperable. I therefore recommend that the section stand part of the Bill.