Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the legislation she expects to have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before the next general election. [35525/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy will appreciate that passage of a Bill through the Oireachtas is dependent on the availability of Oireachtas time. As set out in the Government's Legislation Programme, the proposed legislation within my remit is as follows:

1. Published Bills:

The Health (Nursing Homes) Amendment Bill 2006 is before the Dáil.

The Child Care (Amendment) Bill has been published and is now before the Seanad.

2. Bills expected to be published during the Autumn Session 2006:

The Health Bill will provide for the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Office of the Chief Inspector of Social Services within HIQA with specific statutory functions. The Bill will also provide for a registration system in respect of residential services for children, older people and people with disabilities to replace existing registration procedures in the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and the Child Care Act 1991 and 2001.

The Medical Practitioners Bill will replace the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978 which established the Medical Council and provides for the registration of doctors and the regulation of their activities.

The Pharmacy Bill – No. 1 will provide fitness to practise regulations for pharmacists and the removal of the restriction on pharmacists educated in other EU or EEA countries from managing or supervising a pharmacy in Ireland that is less than three years old — a derogation under Article 2.2 of Council Directive 85/433/EEC. It is also proposed to provide for an appropriate statutory basis for the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and certain competency issues.

3. Heads agreed and Bills being drafted:

The Voluntary Health Insurance Board Bill will address VHI's corporate status and related matters. I expect to publish the Bill in December.

The Adoption (Hague Convention, Adoption Authority) Bill will ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children in respect of Intercountry Adoption. The Bill will provide for the creation of the Adoption Authority (replacing the Adoption Board) as the Central Authority required under the terms of the Convention to oversee the implementation of the Convention in effecting Intercountry adoptions. The Bill will also provide for miscellaneous issues dealing with domestic adoption. I expect to publish the Bill in early 2007.

4. Heads not yet approved:

The Nurses and Midwives Bill will modernise the regulatory framework for nurses and midwives. It will update and amend the Nurses Act, 1985 in order to reflect and to respond to the significant changes which the health services and nursing and midwifery professions have undergone since 1985. Publication is expected in 2007.

The Eligibility for Health and Personal Social Services Bill will clarify and update the present provisions relating to eligibility for health and personal social services. Publication is expected in 2007.

Legal advice relating to the area of registering persons who are unsafe to work with children is being examined with a view to bringing forward legislation to address this issue.

The Public Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will provide for the prohibition of the use of sunbeds by those under 16 years of age together with minor amendments to the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act. Work on the draft heads is proceeding. I expect to submit draft Heads to Government for approval by the end of this year.

Work will begin on the Pharmacy Bill — No. 2, which will deal with other changes in the regulatory framework for pharmacy and pharmacy services and other recommendations of the Pharmacy Review Group, as soon as the first Pharmacy Bill is enacted. Its date of publication is dependent on progress of the first Bill.