Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the status of proposals 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 contained within annex D of budget 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16288/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The primary aim of the programme of agency rationalisation within the health sector is to streamline service delivery, professional registration and policy making in a number of areas, through the integration and /or amalgamation of functions. The rationalisation programme involves a significant legislative programme and a considerable amount of work is ongoing in this area at present. In parallel, discussions with the agencies concerned is ongoing with a view to progressing the programme.

The Post Graduate Medical & Dental Board was successfully rationalised into the HSE on 1 January, 2009 as part of this programme. The following is a summary of the current position in respect of the legislative programme: The Second (Dail) stage of the Health Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009 commenced on 2 April 2009. The Bill will facilitate the rationalisation of: The National Council for Ageing & Older People The Women's Health Council The Drug Treatment Centre The Crisis Pregnancy Agency The National Cancer Screening Service

The Health Information Bill will include provisions relating to Population Health Registries and those provisions will be of relevance to the incorporation of the functions of the National Cancer Registry into the HSE.

The draft general scheme of a new Nurses and Midwives Bill has been approved by Government for the drafting of the Bill. This will include provision for the dissolution of the National Council for Professional Development of Nursing & Midwifery and the incorporation of its functions into the HSE & Bord Altranais as appropriate.

The legislative changes required subsuming the Children Acts Advisory Board into the Office of the Minister for Health and Children will be put in place via the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009.

The Health & Social Care Professionals Act, 2005 provides for the subsuming of the National Social Work Qualifications Board. Separate legislative provisions will have to be made for the dissolution of the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) and the Opticians Board and their subsuming into the H&SCPC. This is currently under discussion in the context of finding the most appropriate fit for the various functions of PHECC and the Opticians Board, consistent with national health policy.

The amalgamation of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Irish Medicines Board is a very complex undertaking requiring primary legislation for the dissolution of three statutory agencies and their establishment as one statutory Authority with an extensive range of powers and duties. Discussions will have to take place with a wide range of stake holders prior to the preparation of legislation.