Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Health his plans to give Junior Minister Alex White responsibility and authority for the development and delivery of the Government's Primary Care Strategy; if he plans to bring forward any statutory instruments to give the Junior Minister with responsibility for primary care responsibility for this matter [53281/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Subject to Government approval, I envisage that Minister of State White will be given statutory responsibilities across a range of functions, similar to those delegated to his predecessor including: controlled drugs, pharmacy and medicines. A Statutory Instrument to give effect to these is in preparation.

Many of the matters that arise for ministerial decision in the Primary Care area do not have a specific statutory basis and therefore will not form part of a statutory instrument.

I intend to delegate responsibility to Minister of State White on a non-statutory basis in relation to the following areas of Primary Care:

Development of Primary Care

Medical Card and GP Visit Card Schemes

Community Drug Schemes

Issues relating to GPs, Dentists, Pharmacists, and Opticians

Dental, Audiology, Optical and Chiropody services

National Drugs Strategy