Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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189. To ask the Minister for Health if the proposed new structures within the HSE will be put on a statutory basis. [52258/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A clear governance and accountability framework was identified as a key building block of Sláintecare by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. As part of its recommendations in this area, the Committee called for the HSE to become a more strategic and patient-focused ‘national centre’ carrying out national level functions, and the establishment of regional bodies with responsibility for the planning and delivery of integrated care at a regional level.

As the Deputy is aware, the Government approved the geographies of six new regional health areas which the proposed regional bodies will serve. I intend to return to Government next year with detailed proposals and a supporting business case regarding the respective roles and responsibilities of the regional bodies, the HSE ‘national centre’ and the Department of Health. As outlined in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy, these new structures will be underpinned by legislation, to be developed in 2021.