Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has urged the Government to conduct an immediate audit of all State bodies whose legal status may be in doubt.
The call follows legal advice to the Government that procedures used to establish 19 separate bodies operating in the health area might not withstand legal challenge.
Yesterday, the Government announced that emergency health legislation would be introduced before Christmas because the Government was being cautious following legal advice from the Attorney General.
Minister for Health Mary Harney said the Attorney General had warned the Government that 19 bodies set up under the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act 1961 could be vulnerable to legal challenge. Ms Harney described the emergency legislation as "legal engineering".
Mr Gilmore said that he believes that questions arise about bodies in the local government area, which were established under similar legislation under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1971.
"The Government should now undertake an audit of all bodies established under legislation similar to the Health (Corporate Bodies) Act, 1961 to determine if any are at risk of challenge," he said.
Mr Gilmore added that if there is a need for emergency legislation in the health area, similar legislation for local government agencies would be required.
Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr James Reilly said he would co-operate with Government on "underpinning these important boards and their functions," adding "but, yet again, this Minister is trying to rush legislation through".
"However, as well as underpinning 19 agencies, this rushed legislation is also addressing deficiencies in the 2007 Medical Practitioners Act and in the Health Act 2004 which established the HSE. Both of these Acts were put through by Minister Harney," Dr Reilly added.