Department of Health (Ireland)

Department of Health
Department overview
Formed 22 January 1947
Jurisdiction Ireland
Headquarters Miesian Plaza,
50–58 Lwr Baggot St,
Dublin 2,
D02 XW14
53°20′48″N 6°15′23″W / 53.34667°N 6.25639°W / 53.34667; -6.25639
Minister responsible
Department executive
Website health.gov.ie

The Department of Health (Irish: An Roinn Sláinte) is a department of the Government of Ireland. The department's mission is to "support, protect and empower individuals, families and their communities to achieve their full health potential by putting health at the centre of public policy and by leading the development of high quality, equitable and efficient health and personal social services." The department is led by the Minister for Health, who is assisted by three Ministers of State.

The department attracts much controversy particularly due to the HSE. Brian Cowen, the former Taoiseach referred to it as "Angola" clarifying "just when you've cleared one land mine another goes off".[1]

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are in Miesian Plaza, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. The departmental team consists of the following:

History

The department was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1946. This took effect in 1947 with James Ryan as the first Minister. Prior to this, the Department for Local Government and Public Health was responsible for Health.

Statutes

Statute Effect
1946 Act Establishment of the Department of Health
S.I. No. 58/1947 Transfer of Health from the Department for Local Government and Public Health
S.I. No. 308/1997 Renamed as the Department of Health and Children
S.I. No. 218/2011 Transfer of Children to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs
S.I. No. 219/2011 Renamed as the Department of Health
S.I. No. 488/2011 Transfer of Child Care to Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Structure

The role of the department and departmental team is to support the minister and the democratic process by:

  • Formulating policy underpinned by an evidence-based approach and providing direction on national health priorities ensuring that quality and value for money are enhanced through the implementation of an evidence-based approach underpinned by monitoring and evaluation.
  • Protecting the interests of patients and consumers and supporting practitioners and professionals to practice to the highest standards by providing a prudent and appropriate regulatory framework.
  • Providing effective stewardship over health resources by demanding accountability for achieving outcomes including financial, managerial and clinical accountability, and by providing the frameworks, including enhanced service planning at national level to improve the overall governance of the health system.
  • Fulfilling the state's obligations in relation to the EU, WHO, Council of Europe and other international bodies and the continued implementation of the co-operation agenda decided by the North-South Ministerial Council.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bowers, Fergal (1 January 2003). "Heath – review of the year". IrishHealth.com.
  2. ↑ "Secretary General of the Department of Health". Department of Health. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
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