Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 2000 > Committee on Health and Children > Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, 1999-2000

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL

ón

gComhchoiste um Shláinte agus Leanaí

Obair an Chomhchoiste

ANNUAL REPORT

of the

Joint Committee on Health and Children

Work of the Joint Committee

1999-2000

Table of Contents

1. Content and Format of Report

This report has been prepared pursuant to paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 79A, Dáil Éireann and paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 69, Seanad Éireann which provides for Joint Committee reports and work programmes as follows-

At its meeting on 7 December 2000 the Committee agreed that all these items be included in its annual report.

2. Functions and Powers of the Joint Committee

The Joint Committee on Health and Children was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 13th November, 1997 and Order of Seanad Éireann of 19th November, 1997 as part of a programme of Oireachtas reform involving the refining of the Committee system to enable more detailed examination of Government Departments including-

The Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee were modified by further Orders of Dáil Éireann of 28th April, 1998 (new subparagraph (2)(a)(iv) added) and Seanad Éireann of 30th April, 1998 (new subparagraph (1)(a)(iv) added) and the Orders of Reference of the Joint Committee, as so modified, are set out at Appendix 1.

3. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Batt O’Keeffe was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 2 December, 1997. Deputy Paul Connaughton was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on 16 December, 1997. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee.

Deputies Cecilia Keaveney and Paul Bradford are the Convenors of the Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

The Members of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 2.

4. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee took place in the Committee rooms in Kildare House. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Joint Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Joint Committee was broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by R.T.É. and TV3.

Verbatim written reports of public meetings of the Select Committee in relation to Bills and Estimates for the Public Services, Vote 33 Health and Children were published and may be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. These may also be viewed on the Oireachtas website at www.irlgov.ie/oireachtas.

Copies of other reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Health and Children, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports are set out at Section 8.

5. Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee met on 19 occasions in the year under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 25 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 3.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 4 occasions in the year under report and the number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 9 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 4.

Minutes of proceedings of the Joint Committee meeting in public session are attached at Appendix 5.

6. Work of the Committee

6.1 Joint Committee

On the 19 occasions the Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

A copy of the Joint Committees work programme for 2001 is at Appendix 6.

6.2 Dáil Select Committee

On the 4 occasions the Committee met it dealt with the following matters:

7. Groups and Individuals attending before Committee

In the year under report the Joint Committee met with the following:

8. Joint Committee Reports and Resolutions

During the year under report the Joint Committee published the following reports:

The Joint Committee also passed the following Resolution -

Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Health and Children

Correction

On page 6, section 10 (Travel by the Joint Committee), paragraph (d): the name of Senator Camillus Glynn was included in error as a member of the delegation which travelled to Geneva. The correct wording for this paragraph is as follows -

“(d)During the period 28 June - 3 July a delegation from the Committee attended the 12th World Aids Conference in Geneva. The delegation included the Chairman, Deputy Cecilia Keaveney and Senator Mary Jackman”

“Due to the increasing public concern as to the effects of tobacco on public health and the grossly inadequate response of the Tobacco Industry to the Committee’s previous inquiries and the recent revelations in the course of litigation in the United States the Committee resolves to investigate further the activities and behaviour of the Tobacco Industry. It further resolves to take all necessary steps to have the true position uncovered as to the safety or otherwise of tobacco products and the possible health dangers posed by them to consumers or third parties.

The Committee believes that the public interest demands that the investigation proceeds without delay.

On the foot of the above resolution, the Committee calls upon the Tobacco Industry to co-operate fully and to provide all relevant information. In the event of the Tobacco Companies not co-operating, the Committee will consider all other options open to it.”

8.1 Work in Progress

(i) Water Fluoridation

The Joint Committee held a number of meetings with various interested parties on the issue of water fluoridation. Deputy John Gormley has been appointed by the Committee as a rapporteur to prepare a report for the Committee on this subject. A draft report should be available by the end of 2000.

(ii) Hospital Waiting Lists

The Committee has appointed Deputy Liz McManus as a rapporteur to carry out a comparative analysis of waiting lists for acute hospital treatments in EU countries. A draft report will be available for the consideration of the Committee in December 2000.

9. Travel by the Joint Committee

The Committee undertook the following travel in accordance with it’s orders of reference in connection with it’s work programme.

(a)A delegation from the Joint Committee visited Brussels on 27/28 January to meet with the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr. David Byrne, to discuss the Commission’s action in the field of smoking prevention. The delegation also met with Ms. Génon Jensen, Communications and Membership Services Manager, European Public Health Alliance, and had informal discussions with members of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament.

The delegation of the Joint Committee was led by Mr. Batt O’Keeffe T.D. (Chairman) and also included Deputies Alan Shatter, Beverley Cooper Flynn, Paul Bradford, Michael Ahern and Senators Mary Jackman and Camillus Glynn.

(b)A delegation from the Committee attended a conference “Winning Hearts — Actions and Policies for a Healthier Europe”, which took place in Brussels on 14 February 2000. The Committee was represented at the conference by Deputy John Gormley and Deputy Dan Neville.

(c)The Committee sent a delegation to the 7th Annual Tobacco Litigation Conference, New Orleans, 27/28 April. The Committee was represented by the Committee Chairman, Deputy Batt O’Keeffe and Deputies Paul Bradford*, Beverley Cooper-Flynn, Brendan Kenneally and Alan Shatter. Travelling via New York, the delegation also took the opportunity to meet with Mr. Victor L. Robles, Chairman of the Health Committee of New York City Council for a discussion on the operation of clean air legislation in New York.

* Deputy Bradford travelled directly to the Conference and did not stay with thedelegation in New York.

(d)Four members of the Committee attended the 13th International AIDS Conference, which took place in Durban, South Africa from 9-14 July 2000. The delegation consisted of Deputies Cecilia Keaveney, Paul Bradford and Dan Neville and Senator Mary Jackman.

(e)The Committee accepted an invitation to attend the 13th World Congress on Medical Law, which took place in Helsinki, Finland from 6-10 August 2000. The Committee were represented at the congress by the Chairman, Batt O’Keeffe T.D., Deputies Michael Ahern, Liz McManus and John Gormley and Senator Camillus Glynn.

(f)A delegation from the Committee attended the 8th European Symposium on Suicide and Suicide Prevention which took place in Bled, Slovenia from 6-9 September 2000. The delegation comprised of Deputy Cecilia Keaveney and Deputy Dan Neville.

10. Function and Powers

In it’s Annual Report for 1998/1999, the Committee requested that it be granted the power to send for persons, papers and records so that it could undertake further work and give further consideration to the issue of health and smoking. The Committee has been advised that the appropriate motions conferring on it the additional powers to facilitate further consideration of the issue of health and smoking will be tabled in the Dáil and Seanad in the very near future.

The Committee is happy with its present procedures and role having been advised that it will be granted the additional powers requested.

__________________________

Batt O’Keeffe, T.D.

Chairman of the Joint Committee

7 December 2000

(Note: This annual report was agreed by the Joint Committee at its meeting on 7.12.2000)