S.I. No. 245/2023 - Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 23rd May, 2023.

I, STEPHEN DONNELLY, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5 , 29 and 31 of the Health Act 1947 (No. 28 of 1947), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

(2) The Principal Regulations, the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 1985 ( S.I. No. 268 of 1985 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 1988 ( S.I. No. 288 of 1988 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 1996 ( S.I. No. 384 of 1996 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2000 ( S.I. No. 151 of 2000 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2003 ( S.I. No. 115 of 2003 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2003 ( S.I. No. 180 of 2003 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2003 ( S.I. No. 707 of 2003 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2004 ( S.I. No. 865 of 2004 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2007 ( S.I. No. 559 of 2007 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2011 ( S.I. No. 452 of 2011 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2015 ( S.I. No. 566 of 2015 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2016 ( S.I. No. 276 of 2016 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2018 ( S.I. No. 567 of 2018 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2020 ( S.I. No. 53 of 2020 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2021 ( S.I. No. 26 of 2021 ), the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2022 ( S.I. No. 258 of 2022 ) and these Regulations may be cited as the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 to 2023.

2. In these Regulations—

“Principal Regulations” means the Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 ( S.I. No. 390 of 1981 );

“Regulations of 2022” means the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Regulations 2022 ( S.I. No. 258 of 2022 ).

3. Regulation 14(1)(b) (as last amended by Regulation 4 of the Regulations of 2022) of the Principal Regulations is amended by—

(a) substituting “influenza where it is influenza of a new or re-emergent sub-type,” for “Influenza where it is Influenza of a new or re-emergent sub-type”, and

(b) inserting “, measles,” before “meningococcal disease”.

4. Regulation 15(2)(a) (as amended by Regulation 5 of the Regulations of 2022) of the Principal Regulations is amended by—

(a) substituting “influenza where it is influenza of a new or re-emergent sub-type,” for “Influenza where it is Influenza of a new or re-emergent sub-type”, and

(b) inserting “measles,” before “meningococcal disease”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

18 May, 2023.

STEPHEN DONNELLY,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulation and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

The Infectious Diseases Regulations 1981 ( S.I. No. 390 of 1981 ) (“the Principal Regulations”) include measles amongst the list of diseases designated as an “infectious disease” for the purposes of the Health Act 1947. All diseases that are so designated are required to be notified (by a medical practitioner who becomes aware or suspects an instance of such disease) to a medical officer of health and are subsequently relayed to the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre in accordance with the Principal Regulations.

These Regulations amend the Principal Regulations to provide for the preliminary notification (i.e. immediate notification by telephone) of measles. These Regulations also address some grammatical issues arising in Regulation 14(1)(b) and 15(2)(a) in the manner detailed in these Regulations.