Legislation to begin the reform of the health service and to give effect to the changes embraced in the citizenship referendum will be introduced in the Dáil session beginning today, the Government said yesterday.
With the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, widely expected to move to the Department of Health in today's Cabinet reshuffle, the Government chief whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, said health would be a priority in the new session.
While she was confident that the Government would sustain the rate of legislative reform into the future, Labour claimed the programme published yesterday was the "thinnest ever".
With 14 bills to be introduced, the party's chief whip, Mr Emmet Stagg, said the "paucity" of the programme was a result of paralysis within the Cabinet in the run-up to the reshuffle.
The Health Bill will provide the legislative basis for the health reform programme. The Bill will establish the new Health Service Executive to replace the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards.
It will also include provisions for a statutory framework for complaints procedures in the health service, Ms Hanafin said.
Separate provisions in the Health and Social Care Professionals Bill will provide for the statutory registration of health and social care professionals, "for the purposes of ensuring a quality service for the public".
The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill will regulate the entitlement to Irish citizenship in the light of the referendum last June.This will provide that a child of two non-national parents can only become an Irish citizen if at least one parent has lived legally in Ireland for three out of the previous four years.
The Employment Permits Bill will put the employment permits regime on a permanent statutory footing. The Registration of Deeds and Title Bill will convert the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds into a commercial semi-State body and consolidate the law on land registration.
Other legislation on the list include: the Building Societies (Amendment) Bill; the Veterinary Practice Bill; and the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Bill, which will give effect to a Council of Europe agreement on mutual legal assistance.
