Regional health areas implementation
Deputy Shortall questioned the Government's chosen model for regional health areas and whether it was a genuinely Sláintecare-compliant reform or a minimalist approach. The Tánaiste said the plan was to establish regional health areas within the HSE and devolve power and budgets to them, and Shortall dismissed it as minimalist.
On behalf of the Social Democrats, I thank Teresa Doolan for her service and congratulate Liam and Noel on their new appointments.
Yesterday, the Committee on Health discovered that a business case for the implementation of regional health areas, RHAs, was presented to Cabinet on Tuesday. This is obviously a central element of Sláintecare. Three options were set out. The first was to do nothing, the second was to take a minimalist approach which, as we know, is favoured by Robert Watt, and the third was to implement Sláintecare, have a leaner and more effective centre to the HSE and devolve power, responsibility and decision-making to the six regions. Can the Tánaiste clarify which of those three options the Cabinet decided on? It was suggested to us yesterday by Robert Watt that the Cabinet came down in favour of the minimalist approach. Can he is the clarify whether the Government will implement Sláintecare or take a minimalist approach?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy. I am not sure I would characterise the three options presented in the same way as she did. I would have to read the Sláintecare report again to remind myself exactly how prescriptive the report was in terms of how the regional health areas should be structured. I heard the Deputy say on the radio that she did not think they should be a recreation of health boards, an option that would involve boards, CEOs and all of the rest.