Seanad debates

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage

 

10:30 am

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am going to put all this together. I have a rule that I respond to whomever is sitting in the House.I thank Senator Davitt for his short and swift support for the Bill, which is greatly appreciated. I also thank him for the work done in assisting us to get to this Stage.

Senator Conway asked why this has taken so long and there are two answers. I have the official answer from my good colleague with me, Barry, and my answer; I will give my answer. There is no doubt this is a complex process and there are 65 amendments in this. There is no doubt it is a technical Bill. When the Taoiseach gave me the call back in June 2020, it was the only job he asked me to do. He asked me to remove disability issues from the Department of Health and bring them to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. His final and parting line was that he expected me to do it right. Expecting to do it right means we had to bring the money, and that is what I ensured I did. On the very first day I could have turned to Barry and the acting Secretary General and said I needed to go but I chose not to until I had the money sorted as well as the transfer of functions. To be fair to Barry and the team back in the Department of Health, I have annoyed enough people in the place so that they are opening the door to let me out quite willingly. Barry was put on duty very quickly and we have it nearly over the line and done.

The important lesson I take from the time it has taken is that I understand how this works. I could have gone and not understood the multidisciplinary piece between specialised disability services and primary services, how they must operate and how an integrated piece might work. I could have gone without knowing anything about aids and appliances within the disability conversation. I could have gone without understanding the relevance or role of primary medical certificates within the Department of Health. Everybody thinks primary medical certificates sit with my good self but they do not sit near me at all. They all sit under the senior Minister and Minister for Finance. At the same time, primary medical certificates are associated with disability.

I got a really good understanding as to how the HSE operates and I built a really good relationship with people. We have reformed our 91 network teams. This means I have a really good basis for when the functions transfer. The most wonderful aspect is that both Ministers - Deputies Stephen Donnelly and Roderic O'Gorman - allowed me to operate from both Departments, having function in one and none in the other. I was allowed to shape and sculpt the process so that when we move, it will be seamless. This technical legislation will be the final piece required, warts and all.

It is important to say the primary legislation put in place is to ensure governance and oversight powers transfer to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and to define the scope of what is to transfer. That took time and to be very fair, the Department did a good job on it. At the same time, I was not going without having the money.

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