The Gazette 1987

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GAZETTE SEPTEMBER 1987
In
this
Issue
Practice Note 247
Doing Business in Ireland 249
Medico-Legal Society
Data Protection
Professional Information 265
•
Executive Editor:
Mary Buckley
Editorial Board:
Charles R. M. Meredith, Chairman
John F. Buckley
Gary Byrne
Daire Murphy
Michael V. O'Mahony
Maxwell Sweeney
Advertising:
Liam O hOisin. Telephone: 305236
307860
Printing:
Turner's Printing Co. Ltd., Longford.
*
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save where otherwise indicated, are the
views of the contributors and not
necessarily the views of the Council of
the Society.
The appearance of an advertisement in
this publication does not necessarily
indicate approval by the Society for the
product or service advertised.
Published at Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.
Tel.: 710711. Telex: 31219.
Fax: 710704.
GAZETT INCORPORATE D
LAW SOCIETY
OF IRELAND
Vol. 81 No. 8October 1987
Viewpoint
Only the Bath Water!
Disturbing trends are becoming
apparent in the campaign for the
reduction in public spending.
Various Agencies and Schemes
outside the direct Civil Service are
apparently being singled out for
closure or merger, wi th their
functions being subsumed in
various Departments. Apart from
doubts as to whether the carrying
out of the function of these
Agencies by Departments is likely
to give much in the way of savings,
the loss of the independent
position and approach which these
Agencies have been able to take
could well be sorely felt.
The Health Education Bureau in
its relatively short existence has
achieved considerable progress
with its campaigns, notably that
against smoking. It is abundantly
clear that major reductions in the
cost of health services would be
achieved if the community could be
persuaded to adopt a healthier
lifestyle. Many of the patients in
our hospitals are there because of
excessive smoking, the abuse of
alcohol or failure to take a
reasonable amount of exercise.
Each of these areas was targeted
by the Health Education Bureau.
Can we believe that the Depart-
ment of Health is to be transformed
into a dynamic health education-
oriented body? It certainly has not
been so in the past wh i ch,
presumably, was the reason for
establishing the Health Education
Bureau in the first place.
The National Social Service
Board, whose functions included
the support and development of
community information centres
and the promotion and develop-
ment of voluntary social services,
is also to go, with its functions
being taken over by the Depart-
ment of Social Welfare. Again,
there must be doubts whether that
Department is an appropriate body
to be entrusted with the functions
of the Board.
An Foras Forbartha has, on a
relatively small budget, managed
to make a valuable contribution in
many areas affecting the environ-
ment and the buildings in which we
live and work. Its study on house
purchase transactions was a most
valuable document, shattering a
number of the myths in that area.
Those who came into contact with
the officials who compiled the
report were extremely impressed
by the thoroughness and impar-
tiality with which they approached
their task. An Foras Forbartha
monitored a wide range of activ-
ities in the general area of the
environment. There must be grave
doubts whether these activities
can be carried on in the future in
the same way as they were in the
past, since many involved the mon-
itoring of performance of Govern-
ment Departments or officials,
local or other statutory authorities.
Are any real savings going to be
made by the closure of the Health
Education Bureau and An Foras
Forbartha? Can Government De-
partments provide the same level
of service at lesser cost? Will size-
able rents continue to be paid for
buildings wh i ch have been
emptied following these closures?
Have the resources of the various
Departments been so under-utilized
that by engaging only a limited
number of the staff of the former
Agencies they can provide an
adequate service in the areas
previously covered? If they have
not been so under-utilized, how
can the same, or even an adequate,
level of service be guaranteed in
the future?
The cuts in the funding of the
Ombudsman's office must neces-
sarily result in a considerable
lessening of the activities of the
Ombudsman. It is no secret that
the Ombudsman has come into
head-on collision wi th various
Government Departments in the
exercise of his duty to enquire into
(contd. on p. 241)
239