Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of the public health reforms that he announced in April 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60933/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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There has been significant progress in Public Health Reform over the past 2 years.

As agreed between the Department of Health, the HSE and the IMO in April 2021, a fully reformed model for public health including 84 Consultant posts is to be implemented by end 2023. The first phase (34 WTE) of recruitment is nearing conclusion and an interim National Director for Public Health has been appointed in recent days. Recruitment under Phase 2 of the programme has begun. There has also been extensive progress made in the area of Public Health Workforce recruitment. Since early last year we have seen the recruitment of over 230 new WTEs in the public health arena which includes public health doctors, nurses, scientists, and support staff.

Alongside recruitment, six new Public Health Areas have been established aligned to future Sláintecare areas, led by Area Directors of Public Health and delivering a consultant-led Health Protection service in line with the Hub-and-Spoke model. The HSE have also made progress towards procurement of an Outbreak Case and Incident Management System, a key enabler of a national health protection service.

My Department remains committed to the full implementation of the new Public Health Model by December 2023.