Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 relate to health needs assessments and ministerial directions. A health needs assessment is a systematic method of identifying the unmet health and healthcare needs of a population and identifying the changes required to meet those unmet needs.

Amendment No. 1 amends the Long Title consequential to the inclusion of provisions on health needs assessments.

The purpose of Amendment No. 3 is to include provision for the issuing of ministerial directions for the conduct of health needs assessments within section 10 of the Health Act 2004, which covers ministerial directions more generally.

Amendment No. 4 clarifies section 10(6) of the Act. Section 10(6) requires the Minister for Health to lay copies of directions issued under section 10(1) before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister may amend or revoke a direction issued under section 10. Amendment No. 4 amends section 10(6) to clarify that any revocations or amendment to a direction under section 10(1) should also be laid before the Houses.

Amendment No. 5 inserts a new section 10AA into the Health Act 2004. This section addresses the details of how the ministerial directions relating to health needs assessments will operate in practice, the implementation of such directions and related matters.