Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

"Iris Oifigiúil" of 27th July, 2012.

I, JAMES REILLY, Minister for Health, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 1 (2) of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (No. 41 of 2011), hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (Commencement) Order 2012.

2. The 26th day of July 2012 is appointed as the day on which the following provisions of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 shall come into operation:

(a) paragraph (a) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the specification by the Minister of procedures for the compilation of lists of names of registered nurses and registered midwives from which 2 members of the Board are to be chosen by the Minister;

(b) paragraph (b) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the specification by the Minister of procedures for the compilation of a list of names of Directors of Nursing and Directors of Midwifery by the Health Service Executive from which one member of the Board shall be chosen by the Minister and for the compilation of that list;

(c) paragraph (c) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the specification by the Minister of procedures for the election of 8 registered nurses or registered midwives by registered nurses and registered midwives for appointment to the Board and for the holding of that election;

(d) paragraph (d) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the nomination by the Medical Council of one person for appointment to the Board;

(e) paragraph (e) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the nomination by the Minister for Education and Skills of one person for appointment to the Board;

(f) paragraph (f) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the nomination by the Health Service Executive of 2 persons for appointment to the Board;

(g) paragraph (g) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the nomination by the Health and Social Care Professionals Council of one person for appointment to the Board;

(h) paragraph (h) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the nomination by the Health Information and Quality Authority of one person for appointment to the Board; and

(i) paragraph (j) of section 22(1) in so far only as that paragraph provides for the Minister to engage in such consultations as he or she considers appropriate for the purposes of forming the opinion referred to in that paragraph regarding the appointment to the Board of the 5 persons referred to in that paragraph.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

25 July 2012.

JAMES REILLY,

Minister for Health.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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

This Order brings into operation the parts of section 22(1) in so far as they provide for the Minister to specify procedures as required under section 22(1)(a), (b) and (c), provide for the compilation of the list of names under section 22(1)(b), provide for the holding of the election under section 22(1)(c) and for nominations under section 22(1)(d), (e), (f), (g), and (h) and consultations in relation to section 22(1)(j).