S.I. No. 68/1977:

HEALTH (LOCAL COMMITTEES) REGULATIONS, 1977.

HEALTH (LOCAL COMMITTEES) REGULATIONS, 1977.

The Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 7 of the Health Act, 1970 (No. 1 of 1970), and having complied with subsection (4) of that section, hereby makes the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health (Local Committees) Regulations, 1977.

(2) In these Regulations "the Principal Regulations" means the Health (Local Committees) Regulations, 1972 ( S.I. No. 31 of 1972 ).

2. Article 5 (2) of the Principal Regulations is hereby amended by the substitution for the words "and subsequent appointments of members in each category shall be made by election by persons in that category who are practising in the functional area of the committee" of the words "and subsequent appointments of members in each of the categories of persons referred to in sub-article (1) (e) (f) (h) (i) and (j) shall be made by election by persons in that category who are practising in the functional area of the committee and subsequent appointments of members in the category of persons referred to in sub-article (1) (g) shall be made by election by registered psychiatric nurses in mental hospitals serving the functional area of the committee".

3. Elections to local committees under article 5 (2) of the Principal Regulations shall be conducted in accordance with the Health Board (Election of Members) Regulations, 1972 ( S.I. No. 60 of 1972 ) and for that purpose the Health Board (Election of Members) Regulations, 1972 shall apply to such elections subject to the adaptations and modifications set out in the Schedule hereto.

4. The persons first elected to local committees under article 5 (2) of the Principal Regulations shall take office on the 1st day of July, 1977.

5. The term of office of a person elected under article 5 (2) of the Principal Regulations shall be five years.

SCHEDULE.

Adaptations and modifications of the Health Board (Election of Members) Regulations, 1972.

1. References to the functional area of a health board shall be construed as references to the functional area of a local committee.

2. In the definition in article 2 of "election year", "1977" shall be substituted for "1972".

3. In the definition in article 2 of "registered nurse", after the words "An Bord Altranais" there shall be added the words "who is practising as a public health nurse".

4. The provisions of articles 3 and 4 shall not apply to elections to local committees.

5. For article 6 (1) there shall be substituted the following sub-article--

"In every election year the returning officer as respects a health board shall, in accordance with this article, compile in respect of the functional area of each local committee established in the functional area of the board an electoral roll for registered medical practitioners and an electoral roll for each of the other professions mentioned in paragraphs (g), (h), (i) and (j) of article 5 (1) of the Health (Local Committees) Regulations, 1972."

6. The references in articles 6 (2), 6 (5), 7 (1), 10 (1) and 10 (3) to the professions mentioned in article 3 shall be construed as references to the professions mentioned in paragraphs (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j) of article 5 (1) of the Principal Regulations and the reference in article 6 (2) to the 1st day of March, shall be construed as a reference to the 15th day of March.

7. In article 6 (4) the words, "other than a registered psychiatric nurse," shall be inserted after "person".

8. The following words shall be added to article 7 (1)--"or, in the case of a consultant in a general hospital or a registered psychiatric nurse, is engaged in the provision of services in a hospital serving the functional area of the committee."

9. In article 7 (2) the words "or, in the case of a registered psychiatric nurse, is engaged in the provision of services in a mental hospital serving the functional area of the committee" shall be inserted after the words "health board".

10. In article 8 (5) the words "a local committee" shall be substituted for "the board".

11. In article 10 (1), 10 (2) and 10 (6) for "articles 4 (4), 5 (4), 6 (4), 7 (4), 8 (4), 9 (4), 10 (4) or 11 (4) of the Health Boards Regulations, 1970" there shall be substituted "article 5 (1) (e) or 5 (1) (f) of the Health (Local Committees) Regulations, 1972".

12. In article 10 (3) (b) (iii) for "(other than registered psychiatric nurses)" there shall be substituted "who is a public health nurse".

13. In article 10 (3) (e) the words "Local Committee" shall be inserted before "Election" in each place where the latter word occurs.

14. The forms set out in the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Schedules shall be modified so as to apply to elections to local committees under article 5 (2) of the Principal Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this 7th day of March, 1977.

BRENDAN CORISH,

Minister for Health,

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations specify the term of office for which and the manner in which registered medical practitioners, registered dentists, registered nurses who are public health nurses, registered psychiatric nurses and registered pharmaceutical chemists or registered dispensing chemists and druggists are to be elected to the local committees of health boards. The Regulations make provision for representation by consultants in general hospitals on local committees which do not have a general hospital in their functional areas, and by psychriatric nurses on local committees which do not have a mental hospital in their functional areas.