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	The HSE Directorate was finally officially established late last month following the enactment of the HSE (Governance) Act.</p>
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	Welcoming the development on July 25, Minister for Health&nbsp;<strong>Dr James Reilly</strong>&nbsp;congratulated Tony O&rsquo;Brien on his appointment as HSE Director General and underlined that the Directorate was &ldquo;accountable to me, as Minister for Health, for the performance of the HSE&rdquo;.</p>
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	The Minister also congratulated the National Directors on their appointments. They are: Laverne McGuinness, Chief Operations Officer and Deputy Director General; Tom Byrne, Chief Financial Officer; John Hennessy, Director of Primary Care; Ian Carter, Director of Acute Hospitals; Pat Healy, Director of Social Care; Stephen Mulvany, Director of Mental Health; and Stephanie O&rsquo;Keeffe, Director of Health and Wellbeing.</p>
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	The Directorate&rsquo;s establishment follows the enactment of the HSE (Governance) Act, which allows the Minister to issue directions to the HSE on the implementation of Ministerial and Government policies and objectives relating to HSE functions.</p>
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	The Minister can also determine priorities to which the HSE must have regard in preparing its service plan and may specify performance targets for the Executive.</p>
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	In parallel with these governance reforms, work is advanced on the transfer of children and family services from the HSE to the new Child and Family Agency.&nbsp; The Child and Family Agency Bill, which provides for this transfer, is currently before the Oireachtas.</p>
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	&ldquo;The Directorate is a step in a much wider process of reform which envisages, as set out in the Programme for Government, the eventual dissolution of the HSE,&rdquo; said Minister Reilly. &ldquo;This will require further legislation and careful planning and sequencing.&rdquo;</p>
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	<a href="http://www.imt.ie/news/latest-news/2013/08/act-brings-hse-directorate-into-being.html">http://www.imt.ie/news/latest-news/2013/08/act-brings-hse-directorate-into-being.html</a></p>
