Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has secured the passage of the Health Information Bill through Committee Stage in the Dáil.
The Health Information Bill provides for the establishment of electronic health records for all patients in Ireland, as well as enhancing patient access to their own health data and ensuring the appropriate sharing of health information for direct care. Furthermore, by empowering the Health Service Executive (HSE) to receive health information from healthcareproviders for specified secondary purposes, the Bill will support better planning and delivery of health services into the future, says the HSE.
The Health Information Bill was published in July 2024 and passed Second Stage in September. The Bill fell with the dissolution of the 33rd Dáil, but was subsequently restored to the Order Paper.
Minister Carroll McNeill said: “Thank you to the members of the Select Committee on Health for their support and engagement… I am very pleased that the Health Information Bill has now passed Committee Stage in the Dáil.
“The Health Information Bill is a key strategic enabler of ‘Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030’, as well as the first in a suite of legislative measures to give full effect to the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation. [This] brings us one step closer to ensuring that Ireland has a fit-for-purpose health information system that, first and foremost, enhances patient care and treatment.”
