Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 190 of 28 of April 2009, the status of each of the individual proposals which were not completed as per her reply; the date by which she expects each of the proposals to be fully completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29579/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The legislative programme is being actively progressed by the Department to dissolve the agencies concerned and to provide for the transfer and amalgamation of their functions with existing bodies as appropriate In parallel, discussion with the agencies concerned is ongoing with a view to progressing the programme. Given the nature of the legislative process generally, it is not possible to give a date of completion for each aspect of the programme. The following is an update on the current position in respect of the legislative programme: Subsume the National Council on Aging & Older People and the Women's Health Council into the Department of Health and Children - The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 was passed by the Dail on 24 June. Seanad second stage took place on 2 July 2009 and Seanad committee and final stages are scheduled for 8 July 2009. Subsume Children Acts Advisory Board into Department of Health & Children -The Government approved the inclusion of provisions in the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 to disestablish the Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB) and to subsume some of its functions into the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on an administrative basis. These provisions were drafted and the Bill has been circulated to Government Departments for observations in advance of bringing the Bill to Government for approval to publish. Subject to the approval of the Government it is intended to publish the Bill immediately thereafter. Merge National Cancer Screening Services Board, National Cancer Registry Board, Crisis Pregnancy Agency & Drug Treatment Centre into HSE. All bar the National Cancer Registry Board will be dissolved by the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 (see above). The draft Heads of the Health Information Bill have been circulated to Government Departments for observations. Approval to draft the Bill was received from Government on 16th June. The dissolution of the NCR and the transfer of its staff to the HSE will be dealt with under the Health Information Bill. Subsume the National Social Work Qualifications Board, the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council and the Opticians Board. The Health and Social Care Professionals Act, 2005 provides for the subsuming of the NSWQB but the Act will have to be amended to provide for the latter two. This is currently under discussion within the Department in the context of finding the most appropriate fit for the various functions of PHECC and the Opticians Board. Merge the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery into the HSE & An Bord Altranais. The draft general scheme has been approved by Government for the drafting of the Nurses and Midwives Bill, 2009. The Attorney General has assigned a Parliamentary Counsel to draft the Bill. It is anticipated that the Bill will be introduced in the Oireachtas in the Autumn. Amalgamate the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Office of Tobacco Control and the Irish Medicines Board This is a 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.