Minister for Health and Children (Ireland)

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The Minister for Health and Children is the senior minister at the Department of Health and Children (An Roinn Sláinte agus Leanaí) in the Irish Government and is responsible for health care in the Republic of Ireland and related services.

The current Minister for Health and Children is Mary Harney, TD. She is assisted by:

  • Brian Lenihan, Jr, TD - Minister of State with special responsibility for Children;
  • Tim O'Malley, TD - Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability and Mental Health Services and Food Safety;
  • Seán Power, TD - Minister of State with special responsibility for Health Promotion and other matters.

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 politicans[1]. 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 parential consent or knowledge, the Dr. 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 to familiar in clinics and hospitials around the country.


Contents

[edit] 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:

[edit] Child Care

  • Child care legislation
  • National Children's Office

[edit] Continuing Care

  • Services for homeless adults
  • Services for people with disabilities
  • Services for the elderly and palliative care

[edit] Finance

  • Health insurance
  • Hospital planning
  • Public-Private Partnerships

[edit] Personnel Management and Development

  • Nursing policy
  • Personnel management and development

[edit] Primary Care

  • Community health (child health, dental services, AIDS, reproductive health)
  • General medical services

[edit] Secondary Care

  • Blood policy
  • Hospital services

[edit] Strategic Policy and Corporate Services

  • Corporate Services
  • Health promotion
  • Health Strategy Legislation


In the following tables the asterisk (*) indicates ministers who held the social welfare portfolio in addition to that for health.

[edit] Ministers for Local Government & Public Health 1924-1947

# Name Took Office Left Office Party
Ernest Blythe June 2, 1924 June 23, 1927 Cumann na nGaedhael
4. Richard Mulcahy June 23, 1927 March 9, 1932 Cumann na nGaedhael
5. Seán T. O'Kelly March 9, 1932 September 8, 1939 Fianna Fáil
6. P.J. Ruttledge September 8, 1939 August 14, 1941 Fianna Fáil
7. Eamon de Valera (acting) August 15, 1941 August 18, 1941 Fianna Fáil
8. Seán MacEntee August 18, 1941 January 22, 1947 Fianna Fáil


[edit] List of Ministers for Health

# Name Took Office Left Office Party
1. *James Ryan (1st time) January 22, 1947 February 18, 1948 Fianna Fáil
2. Noel Browne February 18, 1948 April 11, 1951 Clann na Poblachta
3. John A. Costello (acting) April 12, 1951 June 13, 1951 Fine Gael
*James Ryan (2nd time) June 13, 1951 June 2, 1954 Fianna Fáil
5. Tom O'Higgins June 2, 1954 March 20, 1957 Fine Gael
6. *Seán MacEntee March 20, 1957 April 21, 1965 Fianna Fáil
7. Donagh O'Malley April 21, 1965 July 13, 1966 Fianna Fáil
8. Seán Flanagan July 13, 1966 July 2, 1969 Fianna Fáil
9. Erskine Childers July 2, 1969 March 14, 1973 Fianna Fáil
10. *Brendan Corish March 14, 1973 July 5, 1977 Labour
11. *Charles Haughey July 5, 1977 December 11, 1979 Fianna Fáil
12. *Michael Woods (1st time) December 12, 1979 June 30, 1981 Fianna Fáil
13. *Eileen Desmond June 30, 1981 March 9, 1982 Labour
*Michael Woods (2nd time) March 9, 1982 December 14, 1982 Fianna Fáil
14. *Barry Desmond December 14, 1982 January 20, 1987 Labour
15. John Boland January 20, 1987 March 10, 1987 Fine Gael
16. Rory O'Hanlon March 10, 1987 November 14, 1991 Fianna Fáil
17. Mary O'Rourke November 14, 1991 February 11, 1992 Fianna Fáil
18. John O'Connell February 11, 1992 January 12, 1993 Fianna Fáil
19. Brendan Howlin January 12, 1994 November 17, 1994 Labour
*Michael Woods (3rd time) November 17, 1994 December 15, 1994 Fianna Fáil
20. Michael Noonan December 15, 1994 June 26, 1997 Fine Gael
21. Brian Cowen June 26, 1997 July 12, 1997 Fianna Fáil


[edit] List of Ministers for Health & Children

# Name Took Office Left Office Party
Brian Cowen July 12, 1997 January 27, 2000 Fianna Fáil
22. Micheál Martin January 27, 2000 September 29, 2004 Fianna Fáil
23. Mary Harney September 29, 2004 (Current Incumbent) Progressive Democrats

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Brian Cowen famously referred to the Department of Health as Angola due the fact that their were landmines everywhere.

[edit] External link


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