Department of Health (Ireland)

Department of Health
	; Department of Health, Dublin
Department overview
Formed	22 January 1947
Jurisdiction	Government of Ireland
Headquarters	Miesian Plaza,; Baggot Street,; Dublin
Minister responsible	Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, ; Minister for Health;
Department executive	Robert Watt, ; Secretary General;
Website	Official website

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.

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

Departmental team

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

Minister for Health: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
- Minister of State for Mental Health: Mary Butler, TD
Secretary General of the Department: Robert Watt

History

The department was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946.^[2] 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.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

Date	Change
22 January 1947	Establishment of the Department of Health^[3]
18 March 1947	Transfer of Health from the Department for Local Government^[4]
1 January 1983	Transfer of Adoption from the Department of Justice^[5]
12 July 1997	Renamed as the Department of Health and Children^[6]
1 May 2011	Transfer of the National Drugs Strategy from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs^[7]
3 June 2011	Transfer of Office of Children to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs^[8]
4 June 2011	Renamed as the Department of Health^[9]
1 October 2011	Transfer of Child Care to Department of Children and Youth Affairs^[10]
1 March 2023	Transfer of Specialist Community-Based Disability Services to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth^[11]^[12]

Structure

The role of the department and departmental team is to support the minister and the democratic process by:^{[citation needed]}

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.

References

^ Bowers, Fergal (1 January 2003). "Heath – review of the year". IrishHealth.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946, s. 2: The Department of Health (No. 14 of 1946, s. 2). Enacted on 24 December 1946. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 November 2022.
^ Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946 (Section 2) (Commencement) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 14 of 1947). Signed on 21 January 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 58 of 1947). Signed on 11 March 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1982 (S.I. No. 327 of 1982). Signed on 16 November 1982. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 308 of 1997). Signed on 8 July 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ National Drugs Strategy (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 166 of 2011). Signed on 5 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 3 October 2020.
^ Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 218 of 2011). Signed on 10 May 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Health and Children (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 219 of 2011). Signed on 10 May 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Child Care (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 488 of 2011). Signed on 27 September 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.
^ Specialist Community-Based Disability Services (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 688 of 2022). Signed on 13 December 2022. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 December 2022.
^ Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 666 of 2022). Signed on 13 December 2022 by Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 March 2022.

External links

[1] Bowers, Fergal (1 January 2003). "Heath – review of the year". IrishHealth.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2010.

[2] Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946, s. 2: The Department of Health (No. 14 of 1946, s. 2). Enacted on 24 December 1946. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 November 2022.

[3] Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946 (Section 2) (Commencement) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 14 of 1947). Signed on 21 January 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[4] Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1947 (S.R.O. No. 58 of 1947). Signed on 11 March 1947. Statutory Rules and Orders of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[5] Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1982 (S.I. No. 327 of 1982). Signed on 16 November 1982. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[6] Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 (S.I. No. 308 of 1997). Signed on 8 July 1997. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[7] National Drugs Strategy (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 166 of 2011). Signed on 5 April 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 3 October 2020.

[8] Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 218 of 2011). Signed on 10 May 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[9] Health and Children (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 219 of 2011). Signed on 10 May 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[10] Child Care (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 488 of 2011). Signed on 27 September 2011. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 13 September 2019.

[11] Specialist Community-Based Disability Services (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 688 of 2022). Signed on 13 December 2022. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 24 December 2022.

[12] Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 666 of 2022). Signed on 13 December 2022 by Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 March 2022.

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