Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In 2024, the HSE will be reorganised into six operational Health Regions, which will act as the core units of care planning and delivery for the vast majority of health and social care, including primary and disability services. The regions were designed to be as self-contained as possible while minimising disruption to existing services. This reorganisation of the HSE is in line with the Sláintecare Report and Programme for Government commitments.

The geographies for the six Health Regions were approved by Government Decision in 2019. Research and analysis were undertaken by the Department of Health to identify the optimal boundaries for the new regions. This included a review of regional healthcare approaches taken internationally and in previous reforms in Ireland, a public consultation process, and a detailed analysis of service usage patterns.

South Westmeath, Athlone, and Longford town will all be part of the HSE Dublin and Midlands Health Region. The map of the six Health Regions can be found at: www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/266172/46f33ac2-0f6c-4a4b-bacf-7ec4b22d5daf.pdf#page=null

Local health services within each Region will be provided within Integrated Health Areas (IHAs). There will be approximately two to five IHAs per Region. These will provide integrated acute and community care for their populations. The building blocks of the IHAs will be the 96 Community Healthcare Networks (CHNs) already established via the Enhanced Community Care programme.

Lastly, as the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for specialist community-based disability services transferred from my Department to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in March 2023. These services are still provided by the HSE. My Department has been engaging with DCEDIY officials on this forthcoming change to the HSE structure.