Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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379. To ask the Minister for Health whether the establishment of hospital trusts and the introduction of the relevant legislation will be completed within the lifetime of the current Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17748/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As noted in my response to the Deputy on 28th April last, Phase II of the Health Reform Programme, as set out in Future Health, provides for the dissolution and replacement of the HSE with the introduction of a formal purchaser/provider split, the establishment of a Healthcare Commissioning Agency and a range of provider agencies, including Hospital Trusts. It is essential that the hospital trust legislation is developed as part of the overall reform process and that the appropriate structures are in place in advance of formal establishment of trusts. This is a complex health reform programme and it is expected to take a number of years before hospital trust legislation is introduced.