Department of Health (Ireland) explained

Agency Name:	Department of Health
Type:	Department
Formed:	22 January 1947
Jurisdiction:	Government of Ireland
Headquarters:	Miesian Plaza, Baggot Street, Dublin
Minister1 Name:	Stephen Donnelly
Minister1 Pfo:	Minister for Health
Chief1 Name:	Robert Watt
Chief1 Position:	Secretary General

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: Stephen Donnelly, TD
  • Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People: Mary Butler, TD
  • Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy: Colm Burke, 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:

• 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

• Health Information and Quality Authority
• Healthcare in Ireland

External links

• • Structure of the Department
• Spending by the Department

Notes and References

1. Web site: Heath – review of the year. Bowers. Fergal. IrishHealth.com. 1 January 2003. 20 July 2010. 20 January 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080120060707/http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=4514. dead.
2. 1946. 14. Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946. 2. The Department of Health. 24 December 1946. 13 November 2022.
3. 1947. sro. 14. Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1946 (Section 2) (Commencement) Order 1947. 21 January 1947. 13 September 2019.
4. 1947. sro. 58. Health (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1947. 11 March 1947. 13 September 2019.
5. 1982. si. 327. Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1982. 16 November 1982. 13 September 2019.
6. 1997. si. 308. Health (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997. 8 July 1997. 13 September 2019.
7. 2011. si. 166. National Drugs Strategy (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011. 5 April 2011. 3 October 2020.
8. 2011. si. 218. Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011. 10 May 2011. 13 September 2019.
9. 2011. si. 219. Health and Children (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011. 10 May 2011. 13 September 2019.
10. 2011. si. 488. Child Care (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011. 27 September 2011. 13 September 2019.
11. 2022. si. 688. Specialist Community-Based Disability Services (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2022. 13 December 2022. 24 December 2022.
12. 2022. si. 666. Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Commencement) Order 2022. 13 December 2022. 8 March 2022. Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health.