Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961

What is this act about?

This law allows the Minister for Health to create special bodies to provide health services and outlines how these bodies will be established, managed, and dissolved. It ensures that health services can be delivered effectively through dedicated corporate entities.

Who it applies to: The Minister for Health; Individuals involved in providing health services or working for health authorities.

At a glance

Country: Ireland
Area of law: Commercial and corporate law
Articles: 10
Source: irishstatutebook.ie
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

The establishment and naming of corporate bodies for health services.
The membership, staff, and their conditions of service for these bodies.
The functions and administration of the established bodies.
The process for revoking an establishment order and the consequences of such revocation.

Who does this act apply to?

The Minister for Health.
Individuals involved in providing health services or working for health authorities.

What are the key points?

The Minister for Health can establish a body to perform functions related to one or more health services through an "establishment order."
These bodies are corporate entities with perpetual succession, a seal, and the power to sue and be sued and hold land.
Establishment orders must specify the number of members, their appointment terms, tenure, and details for officers and servants, including remuneration.
The Minister can revoke an establishment order at any time, leading to the dissolution of the body and transfer of its assets and liabilities.

Commercial and corporate law

Registry of Friendly Societies Act, 1936

Transport Act, 1966

Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited (Amendment) Act, 1989

Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) (Neuchatel Agreement) Act, 1947

Irish Shipping Limited (Amendment) Act, 1984

Industrial Development Act 2009

European Communities and Swiss Confederation Act, 2001

Industrial Grants (Amendment) Act, 1964

Commercial and corporate law

Legal text

Contents (10)

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10

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HEALTH (CORPORATE BODIES) ACT, 1961.

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section

Section 1

Short title.

Section 2

Definitions.

Section 3

Establishment of bodies to provide health services.

Section 4

Membership and staff.

Section 5

Functions.

Section 6

Administration.

Section 7

Revocation of establishment order.

Section 8

Reconstitution of certain companies for purposes of Act.

Section 9

Expenses of the Minister.

Section 10

Laying of orders before Houses of the Oireachtas and sending of copies to members of those Houses.

Acts Referred to Health Act, 1947 1947, No. 28 Health Authorities Act, 1960 1960, No. 9 Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956 1956, No. 10 Health Act, 1953 1953, No. 26 Number 27 of 1961.

HEALTH (CORPORATE BODIES) ACT, 1961.

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BODIES TO PERFORM FUNCTIONS IN, OR IN RELATION TO, THE PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES. [3rd August, 1961.] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:— Short title.

1.—This Act may be cited as the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961.

Definitions.

2.—In this Act— “health service” means any service relating to the protection or improvement of the health of the people or the care and treatment of the sick and infirm; “health authority” has the meaning assigned to it by virtue of the Health Act, 1947 , and the Health Authorities Act, 1960; “the Minister” means the Minister for Health.

Establishment of bodies to provide health services.

3.—(1) The Minister may from time to time by order (in this Act referred to as an establishment order) establish a body to perform functions in, or in relation to, the provision of a health service or two or more health services.

(2)A body established under subsection (1) of this section shall be called and known by such title as may be specified in the establishment order.

(3)A body so established shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a seal and with power to sue and be sued in its corporate name and to hold land.

(4)All courts shall take judicial notice of the seal of a body so established and every document purporting to be an order or other instrument made by that body and to be sealed with its seal (purporting to be authenticated in the manner provided in the establishment order) shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such order or instrument without further proof unless the contrary is shown.

(5)The Minister may from time to time by order amend an establishment order or an order made under this subsection.

Membership and staff.

4.—(1) Every establishment order shall contain such provisions as the Minister considers appropriate in relation to— (a) the number of members of the body established by the order, the method, terms and conditions of their appointment and their tenure of office; (b) the number, grades, method of appointment, conditions of service, tenure of office and the remuneration of the officers and servants of the body so established.

(2)An establishment order or an order amending an establishment order may include provisions for— (a) the application, with the consent of the Local Appointments Commissioners, of the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Acts, 1926 and 1940 to appointments to offices under the body established by the establishment order as if it were a local authority but subject to any modifications specified in the order, and (b) the application of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956 to the body as if it were a local authority but subject to any modifications (including modifications relating to service reckonable as pensionable service) which may, with the consent of the Minister for Local Government, be specified in the order.

(3)Where provision has been made in an establishment order or an order amending an establishment order for the application of the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956 to a body established by an establishment order (whether with or without modifications relating to service reckonable as pensionable service) and an officer of that body becomes a pensionable officer of a local authority, subsection (1) of section 11 of that Act shall, in its application to him, be construed as if the following paragraph were added to that subsection:— “(i) service as a pensionable officer of a body established under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961 to which this Act has been applied under that Act or other service which would be reckonable by such body for the purposes of his superannuation”.

Functions.

5.—An establishment order shall contain such provisions as the Minister considers appropriate defining the functions of the body established by the order in, or in relation to, the provision of the health service or health services to which the order relates, and the manner in which and the conditions under which the body so established may perform the functions so defined.

Administration.

6.—An establishment order shall contain such provisions relating to the administration generally of the body established by the order as the Minister considers appropriate including provisions relating to— (a) the meetings of the body so established and the procedure at such meetings, (b) the use and authentication of its seal, (c) the regulation of its finances and the keeping and auditing of its accounts, and (d) the furnishing to the Minister by such body from time to time of information regarding the performance of its functions, and the furnishing of such information to the Minister at any time at his request.

Revocation of establishment order.

7.—(1) The Minister may at any time by order revoke an establishment order.

(2)A revoking order shall contain such provisions as the Minister thinks necessary or expedient consequential on the revocation, and, in particular, may make provision for— (a) the dissolution of the body established by the establishment order and the transfer or distribution of the property, rights and liabilities thereof to any of the following— (i) the Minister, (ii) any one or more than one other body established by an establishment order, (iii) any one or more than one health authority, or (iv) any one or more than one joint board of health authorities established under section 45 of the Health Act, 1953 , (b) the preservation of continuing contracts made by the dissolved body, (c) the continuance of pending legal proceedings, (d) notwithstanding any restriction in any other Act, the transfer of the holder of any office under the dissolved body to a similar office under— (i) a local authority, or (ii) any other body established by an establishment order.

Reconstitution of certain companies for purposes of Act.

8.—(1) In this section “company to which this section applies” means any company under the Companies Acts, 1908 to 1959, which the Minister certifies in writing to be a company to which this section applies.

(2)Where a company to which this section applies has resolved at a meeting specially called for the purpose that the company be wound up for the purposes of this section the provisions of the Companies Acts, 1908 to 1959, in relation to the winding up of a company thereunder shall not apply to the winding up of that company.

(3)A company which has passed a resolution under subsection (2) of this section shall be deemed as on and from the dateof the resolution, or any later date stated in the resolution, not to be a company under the Companies Acts, 1908 to 1959 but a body established by an establishment order, and such an order shall, as soon as may be after the date of the resolution, be made by the Minister in respect of that body.

(4)Pending the making of an establishment order in respect of a company to which this section applies which is deemed under subsection (3) of this section to be a body so established, all provisions of the memorandum and articles of association of that company which enabled it to perform its functions shall apply as if they were contained in an establishment order.

Expenses of the Minister.

9.—The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys to be provided by the Oireachtas.

Laying of orders before Houses of the Oireachtas and sending of copies to members of those Houses.

10.—(1) The Minister shall cause a copy of every order made by him under this Act to be sent, as soon as may be after the order is made, to each member of each House of the Oireachtas.

(2)Every order made by the Minister under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the order is passed by either such House within the next seven days on which that House has sat after the order is laid before it, the order shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

(3)Non-compliance with subsection (1) of this section in respect of any member or members of either House of the Oireachtas shall not affect the validity, or the coming into operation, of an order made by the Minister under this Act.

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