The Minister for Health has rejected criticism that the Government is delaying its health reform programme by failing to appoint key independent personnel.
The chairwoman of the Commission into Health Service Management and Financial Control, Professor Niamh Brennan, said earlier she was alarmed that the staff members were not in place by now.
The reform programme was launched three months ago. At that time, the Government said it would appoint an independent chairman to oversee the changes 'shortly'.
Minister Mícheal Martin has said the promised three-month period of consultation with staff has been going on during the summer and is coming to an end now.
Minister assesses smoking ban in NY
Meanwhile, Mr Martin has been meeting officials in New York who worked on the introduction of the city's smoking ban in pubs and restaurants earlier this year.
The Minister, who intends to introduce a similar nationwide ban here in January, is in New York to study the logistics of bringing in such a ban as well as the likely effects.
His first call in New York was to the city's Health Department, where he met a team of people, including two doctors, who helped push through the New York City smoking ban.
They told the Minister they hoped to save over 1,000 lives a year that would otherwise be lost as a result of passive smoking.
They also told Minister Martin that 97% of New York's businesses have complied with the new law, and there have been few fines so far.
Tomorrow, Mr Martin is due to meet New York's mayor Michael Bloomberg, himself a former smoker, who threw his full weight behind the New York smoking ban.
The Minister has no plans to meet groups who claim that their businesses are down by 20-40% since the ban took effect.
However, a spokesman said the Minister will take the opportunity to visit some establishments to see for himself.
