NI’s new Public Health Bill ‘not fit for purpose’

by
Micheal McKenna
October 15, 2024

Calls have been made for Stormont’s “not fit for purpose” Public Health Bill to be scrapped.

The bill, for which the public consultation closed on Monday, is intended to replace the 1967 Public Health Act, “ensuring Northern Ireland can respond to a wider range of severe threats to public health”.

It comes on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, a section of the consultation asked the public if authorities should be able to impose certain restrictions in the event of a threat to public health including the possibility of “requiring a person to submit to medical examination,” “be removed to a hospital or other suitable establishment” or “require a person to be vaccinated”.

Newry and Armagh MLA, Liz Kimmins, said the proposals and consultation are “not fit for purpose”.

Referring to Sinn Féin’s response to the public consultation, Ms Kimmins – the party’s spokesperson for health – said: “There is a need to ensure that public health legislation is up to date and fit for purpose.

“However, any proposals from the Health Department for a new Public Health Bill must be consistent with people’s human rights and equality requirements.

“The absence of both an Equality Impact Assessment and a Human Rights Impact Assessment from this consultation document is a serious and unacceptable omission.

“The Department of Health’s proposals and the consultation are not fit for purpose and Sinn Féin does not support the approach being pursued by the Minister for Health.”

Previously, DUP MLA Diane Dodds, said the proposals “represent a huge overreach and must be rejected”.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said it “needs to replace outdated public health legislation that is more than 55 years old”.

“We need legislation that covers infection and contamination from biological, chemical and radiological sources and brings us into line with the rest of the UK.

“Any draft legislation emerging from the consultation will go through the Northern Ireland Assembly’s normal scrutiny processes, including a detailed review by the Health Committee and an Assembly debate followed by votes of the full Assembly.

“A public consultation is supposed to stimulate public debate.”