Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
1120. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the minimum governance, reporting, and compliance standards are required by her Department to be applied by departmental line units when overseeing non-statutory bodies funded directly by her Department, excluding HSE-funded bodies; whether those standards are set out in written Departmental policy or guidance; and how her Department assures consistency of oversight across line units. [10007/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently two non-statutory bodies which are funded directly by the Department of Health. The first, the Institute of Public Health (IPH), is an all-island organisation operating in Ireland and Northern Ireland that was established to improve health equity and reduce health inequalities. It supports public policy through research, data analysis, and partnerships.
The IPH is a North-South agency established prior to the signing of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement in 1998, to provide support on public health policy to the Departments of Health and the Chief Medical Officers in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It receives its core funding from the Departments of Health in both jurisdictions.
The Institute is currently classified as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) in Ireland and is required to ensure compliance with relevant company law in both jurisdictions. The IPH is not an aegis body of the Department of Health and is not a public sector body.
The oversight of the IPH is set out in an Oversight Agreement between the two funding Departments and the IPH and sets out the broad governance and accountability framework within which the Institute operates. Given the specific size and nature of the IPH and its North-South remit, bespoke governance and oversight arrangements are appropriate and proportionate.
The second non-statutory body which receives funding directly from my Department is the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). This is an international organisation which facilitates education and knowledge sharing on healthcare through global networks. ISQua operates its Secretariat in Dublin, Ireland and receives a grant from my Department over four years from 1st April 2024 to 21st March 2028. It is subject to a written agreement with my Department and it provides information in advance on the purposes for which it proposes to use the Department funding and reasonable accounting evidence thereafter that the money was applied for the stated purposes.
