The Minister for Health (Irish: An tAire Sláinte) is the senior minister at the Department of Health in the Government of Ireland and is responsible for healthcare in the Republic of Ireland and related services.
The current Minister for Health is Simon Harris, TD. He is assisted by:
- Catherine Byrne, TD - Minister of State for Communities and the National Drugs Strategy
- Finian McGrath, TD - Minister of State for Disability Issues
- Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, TD - Minister of State for Health Promotion
- Helen McEntee, TD - Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People
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History
Health care formed part of the portfolio of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health until 22 January 1947. On that date the new position of Minister for Health was created, with complete control over all policy regarding health care provision in Ireland. In later years, the health portfolio was occasionally coupled with that for social welfare portfolio, in which case the incumbent was known as the Minister for Health and Social Welfare.
In recent years, and especially since the tenure of Michael Noonan in 1994-1997, being appointed as minister has become somewhat of a "poisoned chalice" in government circles and a portfolio to be avoided by aspiring politicians, during his tenure Brian Cowen famously referred to the Department of Health as Angola due the fact that there were landmines everywhere. A number of scandals, mostly due to medical negligence, have meant that the minister immediately becomes identified with the scandal. For instance the Hepatitis C scandal, the withholding of baby organs without parental consent or knowledge, the Michael Neary saga in Drogheda and other high-profile medical scandals have dogged the minister and department. Additionally the minister has to deal with logistic issues not seen in other departments such as strikes, shortages and queues which are all too familiar in clinics and hospitals around the country.
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Overview
The Minister's duties include the creation and assessment of policy for the health services. The main policy sections of the Department, together with their responsibilities, are:
Child Care
- Child care legislation
- National Children's Office
Continuing Care
- Services for homeless adults
- Services for people with disabilities
- Services for the elderly and palliative care
Finance
- Health insurance
- Hospital planning
- Public-Private Partnerships
Personnel Management and Development
- Nursing policy
- Personnel management and development
Primary Care
- Community health (child health, dental services, AIDS, reproductive health)
- General medical services
Secondary Care
- Blood policy
- Hospital services
Strategic Policy and Corporate Services
- Corporate Services
- Health promotion
- Health Strategy Legislation
List of office-holders
The asterisk (*) indicates ministers who held the Health and Social Welfare portfolios simultaneously.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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